Deep Shadows
by XxxAnimaniacxxX
Summary: Kendall steps up to take his brother's place in the Hunger Games. Feeling lost and struggling in the arena leads him to falling for the kind boy of District 11, while Carlos and Logan watch him and struggle with a rebellion in District 12. Kames/Cargan.
1. The Reaping

**Chapter 1! I am writing a story based on the hunger games because I love it and when I was reading it I just really wanted to write a BTR fic so, yeah. I really hope people like this story, I'm super excited for writing it!**

When Kendall opened his eyes, he was the only one lying in his bed. He sat up and yawned, looking around. Katie was curled up in their mother's bed, like she always did when she had nightmares. Well, of course she would have nightmares today, it was the day of the reaping.

Her sleeping over there made it easier for Kendall to get out of bed and quickly dress himself without waking her or Mother. He saw that Logan's bed was empty too, and guessed he must be in the next room. He stood up and pulled on his boots and jacket, brushed his a-little-too-long blonde hair from his eyes. Lastly, he grabbed his forage bag and slung it over his shoulder, leaving the room.

As he'd expected, his eighteen-year-old brother Logan was sitting at the table, writing something on a ratty piece of paper. Kendall would never know why he was so keen to write all his feelings out, to record everything that happened in his life. Still, it wasn't as though he had anything else to do all day. "Morning," Kendall greeted quietly, grinning at him. "Sleep well?"

"Better than I did last year," came the tired reply. "Oh, Katie left some goat's cheese out for you to take with you."

Logan struggled to his feet, grabbing his walking stick from where it was propped against the table and hobbled over towards the dresser, picking up the plastic packet. "There are some basil leaves in there too."

Kendall took the packet and stuffed it into his bag. "Thanks. I'll be back in time for us to eat lunch. Then we can go to the square."

"Ok." As he always did when he was awake for Kendall's parting, he gave the little blonde a tight hug. "Be careful."

"I always am," Kendall replied with a wink, grabbing his ragged grey beanie hat and pulling it on over his head, before he left the house.

He was glad he'd remembered his hat today; the early morning was chilly, the sky just a few shades brighter than it was a few hours ago. The sun hadn't risen fully yet. Normally people would be out, going to work in the mines. But today was a day off for everyone, and the reaping wasn't until two, which had to be attended at all costs. May as well sleep in, if you could afford to.

Kendall walked down the gravelly road of the Seam. It was only a nickname for the part of District 12 he lived in, the poorest area. All the merchants lived in another part, earning money through their business, never going very hungry. Lucky bastards.

Kendall finally reached the Meadow, where the long grass was slightly damp, wild flowers tangling at his feet. He made his way over to the tall electric fence that had been built for the purpose of keeping wild animals out. It was supposed to be switched on 24/7, but seeing as they were lucky to get an hour or two electricity, it was a pretty safe bet that it wouldn't be on. However, he stopped for a moment to listen for that little electrical hum, before crawling down and sliding under that well-used gap in the fence when he heard nothing.

This forest was his family's main source of food. He hunted rabbits, squirrels and wild birds here with the bow and arrows he was now retrieving from a hollow log where he always hid them. He found plants that his father had told him were edible, or could be used for his mother's healing. This place was their lifeline. And although it was illegal to be here, Peacekeepers often overlooked it because they wanted meat just as much as Kendall did. And they often bought from him, or traded for something else necessary for survival.

Kendall jogged in through the trees, remembering a time when his father had brought him and Logan in, teaching them how to hunt. But that was before the accident, the mine explosion that cost him his life. The accident that Logan had been mildly affected by. He had been very lucky he didn't lose his leg, and was just stuck with using a cane. But he didn't like using it outdoors, he thought it made him look weak. All that happened about five years ago, when Kendall was only ten, just on the verge of turning eleven. He still had nightmares, sometimes.

"Hey!" a voice called, bringing him back to the present. Carlos was sitting on the grass on the edge of the trees, looking down at the valley. This was their usual meeting place, so when Kendall flopped down on the grass beside him, he truly felt at ease. Carlos's dad had been killed in the same accident as his. Now he was barely seventeen and trying to feed his own family, same as Kendall. They'd quickly become best friends simply over the mutual struggles they had.

"Look what I caught while I was waiting for you," Carlos grinned, reaching into his bag and pulled out a loaf of bread with a rope wrapped around it. "It just wandered right into one of my snares, isn't that a bit of luck?"

Kendall laughed and took it from him, breathing in the warm scent, his stomach growling in reaction. "That is a bit of luck. What did you give for it?"

"Just a squirrel. He must be feeling sentimental."

"We're all sentimental today." He pulled out his package. "Nancy the goat really outdid herself, Katie got us some goat's cheese and basil."

"Thank you, Katie," Carlos chuckled, picking some blackberries of a nearby bush and tossing one in Kendall's direction. The blonde caught it in his mouth with those quick reflexes he'd developed, laughing. "C'mon. We'll eat, and then we'll go catch some fish."

They used one of their knives to cut the bread and spread the cheese over it, eating the whole loaf easily with the basil leaves and some more blackberries. They needed the energy to catch their next meal, after all. "Now to sit in a moment of silence," Kendall joked, resting back to his elbows. What it really was was just waiting for the food to digest a little so the running, climbing and such wouldn't make them sick. Sometimes eating a full meal could be too much for them. Funny.

Carlos was silent for a moment, looking serious and a little wistful. Carlos had that dark hair and those brown eyes that came from the Seam, that strong face. Kendall didn't look like either of his parents, but his mother said the blondeness and the green eyes and the pale skin had come from his grandmother, who never lived in the Seam. He'd always looked out of place. "We could do it, you know," Carlos said at last, gazing out over the valley.

"What?"

"Take off, live in the woods. We'd make it, easily."

"They'd catch us."

"Maybe not, if we were fast."

Kendall chuckled. "We wouldn't make it five miles. We'd end up as Avoxes, traitors to the Capitol. Our tongues cut to stop us speaking. Forever slaves."

"We're already slaves."

"Not directly."

"Not yet."

They were lucky today. The predators stayed away from them and by late morning they had cut a dozen fish in the pond, along with picking some wild strawberries from a bush they'd discovered months ago. They would eat tonight, at least. Everyone was expected to celebrate after the reaping, it was one of the things Kendall despised about it the most. Still, for many they did see it as a reason to celebrate; their children had been spared for another year, but at least two families stayed inside, mourning and wondering how they were going to make it through the next few weeks.

"Off we go," Carlos said cheerfully as they made their way back towards the fence. As they hid their weapons, Carlos mimicked Kelly Wainwright's peppy tone and squealed, "And may the odds—"

"—be ever in your favour!" Kendall finished with a twirl, before they snuck back under the fence and headed towards the black market, or the Hob.

It was located in a warehouse previously used for storing coal. Half the people of District 12 made their way by trading or selling here. They traded some of their fish for some greens, and then made their way towards the back door of the mayor's house to sell their strawberries. The man had a fondness for them.

His daughter Sasha was the one to answer the door. She smiled in greeting, then disappeared for a moment and appears with a little pouch with their earnings. Even with that money split between them, it was thrilling for them to hold it in their hands.

"Nice dress," Carlos commented.

Kendall couldn't help raising his eyebrows at that. It sounded ironic, almost sarcastic.

"I tend to dress up when I get nervous. And I always get nervous at the reaping," Sasha said with an awkward smile as she handed them their money.

"Why would you?" Carlos demanded. "How many times is your name in there? Like, five?" His eyes landed on the golden pin on the front of her dress. Who knew how many mouths it could feed. "You won't be going there."

"It's not her fault," Kendall said quietly. He couldn't help feeling that the snipe was half at him, even though he knew it wasn't.

"I know, but it's just the way it is," Carlos said sullenly. Then they left.

Of course Carlos was a little bitter towards Sasha. It was understandable. Being the mayor's daughter, it wasn't necessary for her to enter her name in the reaping more times than she needed to. The way the names worked was that on your twelfth birthday, your name was entered once. Then when you were thirteen, it entered again, making two entries of your name in the reaping. And on it went, by the time you were coming to your nineteenth birthday your name was in six times. Then when you turned nineteen, you were in the clear, and your name was taken out completely. The thing was, in the state most families of District 12 were in, particularly in the Seam, children entered their name extra times to gain tesserae, which would earn them a bit of grain and oil each month for a whole year, enough for one person.

So the first year Logan entered, he put his name in twice as a precaution, which made it four the next year. However, after their father was killed he entered his name another three times, adding five to the other four entries. And on it went, until now in his last year, his name was entered twenty nine times. Kendall was two weeks from turning eleven when their father died, and even when he was old enough to have his name entered Logan wouldn't let him put it in extra for tesserae, not even this year. So his name was only in it three times. Carlos, meanwhile, had his name entered over thirty times to help feed his large family of hungry boys.

Just because Logan hadn't let Kendall earn any tesserae didn't mean he hadn't gone to other means to feed them all. Logan couldn't hunt, he couldn't do much at all. Logan's tesserae wasn't enough for them to keep going, it never had been. So that autumn when their father had been killed and Logan had been critically injured, Kendall had been left wondering what on earth he could do to get food for his family. He had been eleven then, and that winter he had resorted to calling to the head Peacekeeper's house. Arthur Griffin was by no means a cruel man, and he wasn't unfair in ruling the district. However, he had this thing for luring young girls into his bed for a bit of extra food or some money to help their family. At first when Kendall went there, he was worried Griffin wouldn't accept him, because he wasn't sure if he was as keen on boys as girls. But he seemed to have no problem whatsoever with it. So Kendall gave up his virginity to feed his family. He didn't really regret it, of course he would've kept it if he could, but what was the point? It wasn't as if there was anyone to save it for.

His family had never known, but Kendall thought Logan had probably suspected something; the lingering glances Griffin sometimes gave him when they were both around, or the few times Kendall had come home with a guilty expression and a slight limp. A part of Kendall had always disliked his mother for that. For being so weak for so long, for leaving Logan and Kendall to fend for the four of them somehow. He ended up giving his innocence away because she didn't want to get out of bed in the morning, grieving over her dead husband. And Logan seemed to know, because Kendall had noticed the change of attitude towards their mother at that time. But Logan had never straight out asked, so Kendall never told him.

But when winter ended and the snow melted away, Kendall decided he wouldn't resort to selling his body anymore. He sucked up his fear and crawled under the barbed wire fence alone, finding the bow and arrows his father had hidden in a hollow log, and he'd gone to hunt. The first day he hardly went in at all, but he hid up a tree and in the end of the day managed to kill a rabbit, and brought it home. At the sight of it his mother seemed to rouse herself, getting out of bed and cleaning it before making it into a stew with some mixed leaves. From then on Kendall hunted every day, deeper into the woods each time. And anything extra he caught he brought to the Hob, sometimes alone and sometimes with Logan. They began to manage just fine. Well, sort of. There were still nights when he had to trade his only game for some other necessity and they went to bed with empty stomachs.

Kendall said goodbye to Carlos and walked home, shaking the coins in his closed fist. The sound of them clinking together lifted his spirits a little. He arrived home, striding in through he front door. "I have fish! And some cash!"

His mother looked up from her spot at the table, her face lighting up. "Good job, honey." She walked over and kissed him on his blonde head, before taking his bag and bustling away to make lunch. Kendall would reluctantly let her kiss him and hug him, but he would never trust her fully again, he would never rely on her again. Since his father died, the only arms he'd ever felt safe or found comfort in were Logan's. Sometimes not even Carlos could strengthen him.

Mother made a stew of fish and the greens Kendall had received, and the four sat down at the table, munching it down contentedly. Katie had to be coaxed into finishing hers, as she did every reaping day. When they finished eating, Mother gave them their best clothes to wear, as was practically required.

"Here, wear this," his mother Jennifer said, handing Kendall a clean, neat shirt. And one that actually fitted him properly too. Kendall had always been small and skinny, just naturally. Logan was taller with a little muscle, while Carlos was big and broad. Kendall would stand next to them, craning his neck upwards a little to look them in the eye. But he didn't really mind. He'd already proved size didn't matter.

When they were ready to go, they trudged along the road towards the square with other 12 residents, Logan limping along without his walking stick. Kendall always tried to convince him to use it in public, but he never would. He was stubborn like that. They both were.

Carlos appeared next to them as they arrived in the already packed square. It was almost two o'clock, and nerves were visibly high.

"It's time for the reaping," Logan said dully, as though he were used to this. Thing is, of course he was. They all were. Kendall stood on one side of Logan, Katie on the other. Logan took both of their hands, squeezing them in comfort. "Let's just stand through this, and then we'll go home and have dinner, ok? And maybe play some cards or something, we haven't had time in a while."

Kendall and Katie both nodded. Carlos stood next to Kendall a grim smile on his face. "I'm so over this shit," he murmured with a sigh.

Kendall was inclined to agree with him. He hated this, the fact that some people's names had been entered so many times just so they could have a bit of extra food was simply ridiculous. But, what had to be done was done. This was survival in District 12. Kendall's mother stood next to Katie, a hand gripping the little girl's shoulder. She would always get nervous at the reaping, it was just the way she was.

"You'll be fine, Kendall," Logan said, looking down at his brother with a slightly crooked smile. "Your name is only in there three times, three in thousands. They're not gonna pick you."

Kendall glanced up at the stage. There were three chairs in the middle and a little to the left. At the front centre of the stage stood a podium, and on either side of it two tables with a large glass ball on each, one full of pieces of paper with the names of the girls, the other with the boys. Kendall felt Logan give his hand another squeeze of comfort, before they parted ways to get ready for the reaping.

As was required, everyone with their name in the reaping had to line up by gender and age, girls on one half on the square and boys on the other, with the eldest lined up at the front and the youngest at the back. Kendall stood with the other fifteen-year-old boys, giving an exhausted sigh. He glanced to his right and saw Katie and his mother standing away outside the perfectly lined groups of potential tributes, both looking pale and strained. But Katie gave him a small smile, and he smiled back.

Two of the chairs were occupied, the mayor sitting in one, and Kelly Wainwright in the other. They both looked nervous as a fat bald man appeared by the foot of the stage, staggering up the steps and chuckling madly. The man was clearly off his head, as usual. Kendall often wondered why Gustavo Rocque, the only winner of District 12, would waste away the life he'd barely managed to keep. Still, he could hardly ask him. The guy only left his house to get more booze. Silence fell over the square as the mayor walked up to the podium to read out the history of Panem, along with the peace treaty.

Panem was once North America, seventy four years ago the Dark Days came, which was the thirteen districts' only attempt at ever rebelling. As a punishment, the Capitol ended up completely obliterating District 13, and to keep the remaining twelve in tow, they created the Hunger Games. Each district offered up a random male and female tribute between the ages of twelve and eighteen to be trained in survival at the Capitol, before they were all put in a large outdoor arena that could host anything from a barren desert to an icy wasteland. Then the tributes were left to fight each other to the death over several weeks, while the whole thing was filmed on camera for the Capitol's entertainment. When he was finished, Kelly walked up to the podium, speaking into the microphone in her peppy voice.

"Welcome, and Happy Hunger Games!" Kelly began, big smile in her dark face. "It is such an honour to be here, choosing the courageous young man and woman to represent District 12 in the 74th Games. Let us begin. Ladies first, of course."

They all knew she would rather chaperone any district but this one, and it sickened Kendall that she could smile as she stuck her hand down to grasp a piece of paper, as if this was all so entertaining for her. Still, it was to the Capitol. All just a game. A game to see which of their pathetic slaves could kill all the others. 'We'll show you how you're still under our control by sacrificing your children and watching them kill each other!' Disgusting.

"Our female tribute is . . ." She briefly glanced at the paper, before calling out, "Camille Roberts!"

Kendall sighed mournfully. He knew Camille; she was Carlos's age, and he'd spoken to her once or twice. As she walked up on stage, dark hair in a braid, she looked terrified. Kendall really couldn't blame her.

"Excellent," Kelly beamed, patting the shaking Camille on the back, before reaching into the second glass ball of names. "And now. The male tribute for District 12 is . . ."

Silence.

"Logan Knight!"

Katie screamed. Jennifer let out some kind of broken cry. Kendall was completely frozen as he saw his older brother up in the front row, limping towards the steps to the stage. Kendall trembled as he watched him. It couldn't . . . no. Logan wasn't strong. He couldn't even walk right, he would be the first to die. They couldn't send him in there! But what could he do?

He knew. And he ran.

"No!" Kendall sprinted towards Logan, everyone moving to clear a path for him. "Stop!" he screamed, jumping in front of Logan and pushing him away from the steps. " I volunteer!"

Silence fell over the square as everyone turned to stare at him in disbelief. Nobody had volunteered to take a place in District 12 for years. In some districts it was a yearly occurrence. But not here. "I volunteer as tribute!" Kendall continued, stumbling a little over his words because he was so scared. Logan was looking at him with wide, scared eyes. And then Kelly nodded at him and he walked up the stage steps.

"NO!" Logan screamed, tears beginning to fall as Carlos appeared and grabbed him to hold him back. He kicked and shouted, his pleas bringing tears to Kendall's eyes. "Kendall, no! KENDALL! Leave him alone! I'll go, I'll go!"

"Too late," Kelly said slightly apologetic, almost sympathetic. Though that was impossible, wasn't it? "Once someone volunteers to take a tribute's place there is no going back."

And Kendall knew it too, as he stepped onto the stage. He saw all those familiar face, some devastated at the thought of small, sweet, innocent Kendall Knight going into the arena to save his crippled brother. Others were sobbing as they watched Camille, knowing it was likely they would never see her again. And some looked at both of them, the two tributes who stood side by side, clutching hands as some form of comfort for each other.

"What's your name, dearie?" Kelly asked sweetly.

"K-Kendall Knight," he said quietly.

"Kendall Knight. Well then, that must be your brother, yes? I suppose you didn't want the older sibling to take all the glory! Let's have a round of applause for our brave Kendall Knight!"

Not a single clap sounded in the square. But that was nothing new. Nobody thought that being a tribute was a good thing. It didn't mean honour, like some other districts. It meant death, simple as.

Then something strange happened. A woman close to the front, whom Kendall recognised as the mayor's wife, pressed the three middle fingers of her left hand to her lips, before raising them in the air towards Kendall. And then like a wave, the whole square copied the action. The gesture was rarely used nowadays, except sometimes at funerals. It was a sign of respect, of saying goodbye to a loved one. Kendall had to swallow the giant lump in his throat, refusing to break down and cry with the cameras pointing at him.

"He's got spunk, that's what!"

The slurred voice came from Gustavo, who gave a sloppy grin. "He's got more spunk than you!" the man shouted, pointing directly at one of the cameras. Kendall had no idea whether or not he was addressing anyone, and if so, who, but he admired him nonetheless. That was, until the man fell right off the stage and knocked his drunken self out.

The National Anthem began to play, as Kendall and Camille gripped each other's hands tightly. And when it ended, the Peacekeepers appeared and escorted them off the stage into the Justice Building. They were split up and brought into two different rooms. Kendall sat down on the velvet couch in his, looking around. It was so fancy, and extravagant. Well, compared to what he was used to. He was sitting there for about ten minutes before the door opened and his family walked in.

Katie ran straight for him, hugging him tightly and sobbing. "K-Kenny, you can't go!"

"I have to, baby sister," Kendall said softly, hugging her. "I have to go. But you can be a big girl, can't you? You're smart and you can get through anything, ok?"

Katie nodded, smiling at him. "Yes, I can." She pulled away from him as their mother leaped forward, pulling Kendall straight into her arms.

"Oh, Kendall . . ." she whimpered. "This shouldn't be happening to you, to any of us . . ."

"I'll be ok, Mom," Kendall managed to force out, clinging onto her. "I'll b-be fine."

She only sobbed harder, clutching him. "My baby boy . . . it's not fair."

He pulled away from her, gripping her shoulders. "You can't lose it again, ok? You don't have any excuses, you can't leave us again, especially when they need you."

"I know," she replied, nodding firmly and wiping her eyes. "I'll be strong, I promise."

Logan was the last. First he just scowled at Kendall, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Kendall bit his lip, only feeling slightly guilty. "I couldn't let you go."

Logan gave a worried smile, and when he opened his arms Kendall dived straight into them, breathing in that fresh soapy smell as he buried his face in the crook of the older boy's neck. "I'll try, I'll really try," he murmured. "I'll try to win, for you. I'll make you proud of me."

"I'm already proud of you," Logan choked, holding him close. "I've always been proud of you."

"I love you, Logie," Kendall whispered, before the Peacekeeper came into the room and told them to leave. He stole one last hug from each of them before they were gone. Kendall sat there numbly on the couch, breathing unevenly and trying to hold the tears in when suddenly the door opened again and

Sasha walked in. He was surprised to see her, but didn't question it. She certainly got straight to the point.

"You're allowed wear one thing from home when you go into the arena," she said immediately, sitting next to him. "Will you take this?"

She held out the pin that had been previously pinned to her dress. Kendall saw it was a bird in flight inside a gold ring, an arrow running through it. He recognised it immediately and grinned. "A mockingjay."

Sasha nodded, grinning. "Yep." During the Dark Days, the Capitol had created a series of animals for both attack and defence, called mutations, or mutts for short. One they invented was a jabberjay, a strictly male bird capable of recording entire conversations and repeating them to their masters. It was a great use for spying in cities where the Capitol thought their enemies were hiding. However, the rebels soon caught on to the scheme and began feeding the birds complete lies, which led to them losing their use and being released into the wild to die out. However, instead of dying, they mated with female mockingbirds, creating mockingjays, which could listen to entire songs and sing them back exactly the same. Kendall's father had loved mockingjays, and Kendall had grown to love them too.

"You'll wear it, won't you? In the arena," Sasha said urgently, pinning it to his shirt. "Promise me you will."

Seeing it there felt like a piece of his father was connected to him. Kendall nodded and smiled, "I promise."

Again, the Peacekeeper appeared to take her out. She pressed a quick kiss to his forehead, before walking towards the door and leaving.

Carlos was the last to arrive, the two of them running straight into a hug. "Take care of them, Carli," Kendall whimpered out. "Make sure they don't starve, please."

"I'll look after them," Carlos promised.

"Look out for yourself, too."

"I always do."

They were silent for a moment or two. Then Carlos spoke again in a tearful voice. "I never really realised, how small you are." He laughed shakily. "But you're so brave, and you are strong, mentally stronger than they are. Maybe, maybe you can even win."

"Carlos . . . you and I both know . . ."

"They just want a good show!" Carlos burst out angrily. "That's all they want!"

"Carlos, twenty four of us are going in there and only one is going to come out," Kendall replied before he could continue.

"Wow," Carlos said slowly, laughing again a little. "Well, that's brand new information."

Kendall laughed too. "At least your sense of humour hasn't died."

There was a pause. "You need to get a bow, that's the most important thing. If they don't have one, make one. There's bound to be wood somewhere."

Kendall nodded but didn't say anything.

"You will try to survive, won't you? I know you think you don't stand a chance in there, but I think you do. Don't let us down."

"I won't," Kendall whispered, before that hateful Peacekeeper appeared again, and he was left alone.

But he couldn't cry just yet. There would be cameras at the train station.

**Don't go thinking Carlos and Logan are just gonna vanish from the story now! The story is mostly Kames/Kendall-centric, but there will be bits where it goes back to Carlos and Logan too. Chapter 2 will be published when I write it. Feedback makes me update faster ;)**


	2. Memories

**Chapter 2! Sorry I haven't updated this for a long time, my ther stories were taking my time up, lol. Thank you to everyone and read, reviewed, alerted etc, here is the second chapter for you ****wonderful people! XD**

People from the Seam travelled on foot.

So Kendall had never even been in a horse and cart before. A car was something completely new. But it didn't make any difference to him today, as it would have any other day. He just sat silently in the back seat, holding the mockingjay pin in his hand, twisting it around and watching it glint when the light caught it just right.

The train station, as he'd expected, was packed with cameramen, flashing their fancy lenses in his face as he was escorted towards the open door of the train. He spotted Camille walking in the same direction who, although clearly hadn't been crying, looked like she might start any second now. They had to stand side by side on the doorway of the train while the cameras focused on them for another minute, flashing as they took photos of them for every newspaper the Capitol provided. Then the doors slid shut.

Kendall had never been on a train before either. Travelling between districts wasn't allowed, except to transport goods to the Capitol, like coal in their case. The speed of the engine was unbelievable. Kelly led them down the corridor and showed them both their own private compartments, which included a comfy bedroom with a dresser packed with fine clothes, and an attached bathroom with hot and cold running water. Unless they boiled it, they never had hot water at home. He'd become used to cold baths. This train was even more extravagant than the room in the Justice Building.

"Feel free to do what you like," Kelly said cheerfully before leaving him. "But be ready for dinner at six, then I'll come and get you!"

Left alone to the silence of the room, Kendall fingered the pin in his hand again before setting it down on the dresser. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he stepped into the bathroom and began peeling his clothes off. He didn't bother folding anything, he just tossed it onto the floor before stepping into the shower, turning the hot water on full blast. He'd never had a shower, they didn't have one at home. It was like summer rain, but warmer.

Then Kendall found himself pressed against the shower wall and sliding down until he was seated on the tiled floor, legs tucked up against his chest. Just thinking about summer rain made him think of home, and that was what made the tears start streaming down his cheeks. Burying his face in his knees, he began to sob, finally able to let go in privacy. Home. The mines. The forest. Carlos. His mother, and Katie. And Logan. What were they doing now? Sitting at home with the shutters tightly closed. Would they be able to eat, or would they go to bed empty? Were they going to watch the recap on the battered old TV?

He just firmly told himself that whatever they were doing, it didn't matter now because he wasn't there with them. He just had to focus. Focus on getting home again. That was the most important thing. Though he knew that the odds weren't likely to end up in his favour anytime soon.

He turned the shower off and dried himself off, furiously rubbing at his hair until it was a tangled mess but all the moisture had been removed. Digging through the clothes provided for him, he put on a dark shirt and pants, pinning the mockingjay onto his shirt and pulling his socks and boots back on. He brushed his hair a little, and finally deemed himself ready. It was probably better not to look like a complete mess in front of everyone. Like a helpless and frightened child.

Kelly came back to take him to dinner, leading him down the corridor to a compartment with a dining room, a large table in the centre covered with very breakable crockery. Camille was there already and Kendall sat down next to her, Kelly settling down on the other side of the table. That was when the serving began. The huge meal came in courses; vegetable soup and green salad, beef and a huge vat of potatoes and various sauces, fruit and chocolate cake. He never got chocolate, ever. Kendall wanted to eat everything,and he figured he may as well put on some weight for the games. He and Camille both dived on the food, because they had never seen so much available to them in their lives.

"It's good to see that you two have table manners," Kelly said briskly as they ate the main course. "The two last year just gobbled down the entire meal with their hands. It was disgusting, really upset my digestion."

Kendall stopped eating, staring at her with wide eyes. Glancing at Camille, the girl looked back at him before turning to look at Kelly with unhappy eyes. "The tributes last year were from the Seam, like me," Kendall said coldly. He hated the Capitol. "Not once, in their entire life, have they ever had enough to eat. I'm sure manners were the last thing on their minds."

"It's different for me," Camille added with a hard glare. "I'm not from the Seam, I've never been as hungry as they have. You don't understand."

Without another word, as if some unspoken communication had passed between them, they resumed eating their food, finishing it off with their hands just to get to her. To add a little more, Kendall wiped his fingers slowly and deliberately off the tablecloth when he was finished. Kelly pursed her lips together but said nothing. "So, where's Gustavo?" Camille asked to fill the slightly awkward silence that came afterwards.

"Oh, who knows?" Kelly replied, seeming much more cheerful simply being reminded that Gustavo wasn't here. "Sleeping, perhaps? Come now, we'll go watch the reaping."

They walked into another compartment and sat down, Kendall unable to help clutching his stomach. He wasn't used to such rich food, and especially not so much of it. Camille looked pretty similar to I'm at that moment, but he was determined to keep it all down. They turned the television on for the recap of the reaping. They carried it all out in one day, taping it live for the Capitol people to see, then they broadcasted a recap for the people of the districts who'd missed it. Kendall and Camille knew that this was important, because they would see who their competition was.

Kendall watched with careful and wary eyes, some tributes standing out more than others. Though he remembered each name, there were only a few who stood out in his mind. The tributes from 1 to 4 were always tall, broad and strong. They trained for the games, despite the fact that it was meant to be illegal. He and Carlos had always called them the Careers. These were the districts where voluntary tributes were common. There was a lanky but tall blonde girl named Mercedes Something from District 1, who lunged forward to volunteer the second she could. A scary and spiteful dark-haired boy from 3 called Wayne. The next thing he noticed was that from 5, 6 and 7, the female tributes were all named Jennifer. The first was a petite brunette, the second a blonde with a sly face, and the third with curly dark hair. Kendall couldn't help thinking that it would be funny if they formed an alliance and called themselves The Jennifers. Though it wouldn't be good for him.

Then what caught his attention was a small, young boy from District 8, even younger than the one he'd barely glanced at from 6. He was short with freckled skin and red hair, and couldn't have been older than twelve years old. And nobody offered to take his place. He found himself indifferent to the next two districts, watching them walk up on the stage and thinking that they didn't look like much to worry about. Then came 11, which began with a dark-haired and pretty girl, and ended with a tall boy, with tan skin and chocolate brown hair. He looked kind, and determined. And Kendall didn't know why he'd noticed.

They finally reached twelve. He saw Camille being chosen and taking her place on the stage, then the panic from his family as Logan's name was called out. He saw himself, sprinting towards Logan and pushing him to the side, and he realised for the first time that he really was a lot smaller. He saw Logan, screaming and begging them not to take him, and Carlos pulling him away. The commentators talking over the broadcast seemed lost for words when it came to the farewell gesture that replaced the applause. They were only talking about District 12 and its strange customs when Gustavo fell off the stage. Camille burst into laughter. "Oh, good old Gustavo, always making his presence known!"

"I bet he's still drunk," Kendall said with a laugh. "He's drunk every day."

The two tributes giggled next to each other, Kelly watching them disapprovingly. "I'm glad you two seem to find it so amusing!" she snapped. "Do you know what's really funny? Gustavo is your mentor, your guide in the games, your key to gaining sponsors and supporters, and could even be the difference between life and death for you!"

Right on cue, Gustavo stumbled into the room. "Dogs, heel!" he slurred, before promptly throwing up all over the food and collapsing right into it, almost comically.

Kelly hopped up and hurried out of the room in disgust. "It's very funny now, isn't it?"

Gustavo was now half passed out, lying in the pool of vomit. Kendall stared at him, utterly repulsed. But he didn't want to leave him there, so he hopped up and grabbed him under the arm, attempting to pull him up a little. He started panting immediately; the man was heavy. Camille rushed forward to help him; she was surprisingly strong, and soon they had him on his feet and helped him down the corridor.

They took him down to the compartment that they assumed was his, given his grumbling and struggling in that direction. "I can take him from here, if you'd like," Kendall offered, thinking Camille probably wouldn't enjoy stripping a fat man and scrubbing vomit from his chest hair.

"Don't be ridiculous," Camille replied, rolling her eyes. "I'm helping. I'm sure the last thing you want is some of our Capitol assistants coming to help."

And she was right, so they both dragged Gustavo into his bathroom, Kendall stripping his clothes off while Camille filled up the bath. They managed to heft him into it, and Camille promptly grabbed the sponge and began scrubbing him clean, while Kendall busied himself with washing the clothes on the other end of the tub. As he looked up at Camille, something about her soft brown eyes reminded him of Logan. He smiled to himself and went back to his work.

Camille was the baker's daughter, seventeen and the middle child of three. The baker was a kind man, though the same couldn't really be said for his temperamental wife. He went to school with her, though he didn't even see her much because they were different ages and ate at different times. This was the reason for his friendship with Sasha; the two eating lunch alone had led to them eating lunch together. However, they had one unforgettable encounter when they were both younger. Well, unforgettable for Kendall, anyway.

It was the winter of his father's death. Kendall was cold, and hungry, stumbling along the snow-covered road alone. He came close to the bakery when the smell of the bread was too much for him to resist. He was only ten, after all, and at that moment his rumbling stomach spoke louder than the rational side of his brain did. So to the bakery he went, the sky dark and the late evening air chilling him to the bone. However, the journey ended up being a little too much for his short legs to stand, and the back door of the bakery had barely come into view when he collapsed in the Roberts' garden, shaking and too weak to get back up. He must have been seen, because only a moment later the back door opened and the smell of the bread wafted out of the lit up kitchen. Mrs Roberts stood there, scowling down at him. "Get out of here you little beggar, before I call the Peacekeepers on you!"

Then Kendall saw Camille standing behind her mother and watching him thoughtfully. Twelve years old, her dark hair framed the pale face that watched him so intensely before the door snapped shut, the garden going dark once again. Kendall shivered, pulling his oversized jacket tighter round him, though it did little to warm him up. He couldn't get up just yet; his legs needed the rest, so he stayed there in the snow for another minute or two. Then the door opened again, and Camille appeared at the door. Glancing behind her and clearly worried she would get caught, she tossed something out across the garden towards Kendall. Two somethings, one after the other, before shutting the door again. Crawling forward a little and picking them up, Kendall hugged them close to his chest with a happy little whimper, tears actually in his eyes. Two hot loaves of bread, slightly burnt but otherwise perfect.

After eating a bite or wto himself, he took the loaves home. It was good bread, filled with nuts, raisins and seeds. It lasted them the next couple of days. But Kendall couldn't forget what Camille had done for him, so the next morning he went back down to the bakery, not to see if there was more available, but to thank her. However, when he got there, she was outside on the street, kicking a ball back and forth with some of her friends, and he didn't want to go any closer.

Then something happened that caught his attention. Camille kicked the ball, but sadly her aim was a little off and it smashed against the coal box outside the door.

With a crash, the coal all fell onto the ground. Camille stared at it in horror, as did her friends. Beware the wrath of Mrs Roberts, even over insignificant things like this. And as she came storming out holding a wooden spoon, the children knew the fate that awaited poor Camille.

"Did you do that?" Mrs Roberts screamed angrily at her terrified daughter. "You did, didn't you? You little brat!" She grabbed Camille by the arm to haul her inside.

"No she didn't!" Kendall called to her, standing a little closer to the the children gathered.

"Who did it, then?"

"It was me," Kendall said to her, trying to appear unafraid. "I didn't do it on purpose."

"Get away from my bakery! Seam vermin!" she screamed in rage, looking ready to snap him in half. But he knew she wouldn't hit him, because he wasn't her child. He glanced at Camille and saw her smile at him. He gave a tiny smile back before turning around and running off home. They were even now, or at least as even as they could be. Kendall had never forgotten that.

"Kendall? Are you ok?"

Kendall's head snapped up to look at Camille. "Sorry?"

Camille chuckled fondly, almost the way a mother would. "You completely zoned out, and I'm pretty sure those are clean by now."

"Yeah, they are. Sorry." Kendall picked the clothes up, wringing them out before draping them over the heated towel rack. "Need a hand getting him out of the tub?"

They heaved Gustavo out onto the tiled floor, drying him off and ignoring his grumbling protests. Once that was done, they managed to tug his underwear on and get him into bed, throwing the covers over him and shutting off the light. However, just as they were leaving, they heard a murmured, "Thanks," before some painfully loud snores. They left the compartment and shut the door firmly after them. "Um, I think I'll go to bed too," Kendall said to Camille. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The drawers in Kendall's compartment contained a large selection of nightclothes. But he just chose to take off his shirt and pants, tossing them on the floor and going to sleep in his underwear. But as he took the mockingjay pin off the discarded shirt and held it in his hand, he walked into the bathroom and picked up the shirt he'd worn to the reaping, pulling it back on and buttoning it up. He was happier that way. He left the pin on the dresser and curled up in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling. He felt like crying again, but he was just too tired. Tired of everything. For the second time, he wondered how Logan and the others were, before he drifted off into a restless sleep.

* * *

><p>"Look at them, Carlos!" Logan cried, gesturing towards the TV screen where the reaping was shown. "Just look at them! They're all so tall, and strong . . . oh, for goodness sake, that guy looks like he's out for blood, and a lot of it, too."<p>

Sitting in Carlos's house in front of the television set, Logan hid his face in his hands so none of the Garcias would see how close he was to tears. "Kendall doesn't belong there," he murmured. "He doesn't stand a chance."

Carlos sat down next to Logan, holding out a cup of tea for him to take. "Kendall is a lot more equipped to this than you would think, Logan. You don't hunt with him." He couldn't help smiling just at the thought of those moments. "Have you ever seen him climb a tree? He's like a squirrel, I'm not kidding. He's fast too, and he knows how to hunt for food. Chances are a lot of them won't."

"He's naive, Carlos! He's sweet, and innocent, and he's going to let somebody get inside his head and take advantage of him! He's only a child!"

"Like he was when your father died?" Carlos questioned with a frown. "Surely you think he's grown a little since then, if not too much."

"He's still only young. I guarantee you he'll be one of the youngest and smallest tributes there. And that's a disadvantage to him."

Logan ran a hand through his messy dark hair, shutting his eyes. "I shouldn't have let him take my place . . ."

"You didn't have a choice—"

"I could have tried harder to stop them taking him! They took him away from me, Carlos! I'm never going to see him again!"

When Logan stood up, grabbed his cane and hobbled away towards the door, Carlos left his family and hurried after him.

"So what, you're just gonna give up on him completely?" he demanded walking after him down the deserted road. "You don't have any faith in him?"

"It's not about that—"

"Yes it is, Logan! You don't believe he can get far, you don't think he's capable!"

"Of course I don't, he's my baby brother!"

"He's not a baby anymore, and hasn't been for years now! And you know that, you know what happened after the explosion!"

Suddenly Logan turned around and delivered a swift right hook to Carlos's jaw. "Don't you ever talk about that!" he shouted, eyes shining with tears. "Ever, do you hear?"

"Why not?" Carlos shouted back, a hand on his stinging face but not backing down even for a moment. That wasn't in his nature. "Because you can't get back at Griffin, is that it? Because you can't punch a Peacekeeper like you just did to me! Is that your problem, Knight?"

Logan shook his head, turning away again. He realised he just didn't have the will to be angry anymore. "It's just another thing I couldn't protect him from," he said softly, knowing Carlos was next to him and could hear. "He had to face that on his own."

"He chose it."

"He was young and desperate! He didn't know what to do! He didn't have a parent to tell him what to do, he only had me . . ." Logan shook his head. "I'll never forgive her, never, it's her fault. I don't give a damn how upset she was, I will never forgive her."

Slowly and a little hesitantly, Carlos pulled Logan into a comforting hug, the older finally letting go and crying into his shoulder. They had never been close, but right now it didn't seem to matter. He knew he was talking about, and privately felt the same. His own mother was literally days away from giving birth when the explosion happened, and she managed to keep it together. Funny, how much parents' decisions could influence their children's so much.

But there was one thing Logan was right about, though Carlos would never admit it.

Kendall didn't belong in that arena.

And the chances weren't good that he would come back out.

**Chapter two is OVER! Next chapter, Gustavo shall be properly involved if you get what I mean, and there will be introductions to more characters, including Mr James Diamond himself! Lol, please review!**


	3. The Tribute Parade

**So, thanks for all the reviews, I loved getting them! XD I shouldn't be updating this so soon but I love the hunger games so much I can't help myself. The movie is amazing, and everyone should go see it! Jennifer Lawrence is FANTASTIC, just...AHH, fangirling! XD**

**Anyway! Some people asked me if this story was exactly like the hunger games or just based on it. It's both, as you can probably tell already! Bits of the plot have been the same so far, but there have also been differences. I'm trying to put as many differences in as I can while still keeping parts of the plot layout the same.**

**With the actual games, I was originally going to make the layout the same, but now I'm going to try and make a new one so people who've read the book or seen the movie don't know what to expect. Bits of it would be the same but a lot of the ways people die and such would be different. I haven't actually created it yet so I'm not sure. However, this is the reason I'm going to change the rating of this story, as bits of it may be more violent and/or graphic than the original book. Also, there be be some form of a 'scene' in it somewhere, but if there is I'll put a note at the start of the chapter so anyone who doesn't want to read it will know! Enjoy the chapter!**

Kendall woke up with a start the next morning, bolting up into a sitting position in the bed. He couldn't remember what he'd been dreaming about exactly. Something about the train stopping and tossing him off into the arena, when he wasn't ready and had no idea what he was doing. He had to sit still for a while to calm his breathing down.

He was soaked with sweat, so when he got up he took another hot shower, standing under the water for a while just because it was a rare thing for him. The dark clothes he'd worn the evening before were crumpled but not dirty, so he just put them on again, brushed through his hair and attached the mockingjay to his shirt.

A knocking on the door made Kendall jump. "Up out of bed, sweetie!" Kelly's voice called. "Breakfast is ready, and it's going to be a big, big day!"

Kendall sighed and left his compartment, following her down to breakfast. Camille and Gustavo were already there. As soon as he sat down, the food was served. A massive bowl of rolls that could keep his family going for almost a week. Cheese and ham and a large bowl of fried potatoes. A dish of fruit in ice so it was kept chilled. A cup of coffee and something creamy that Kendall had never seen before. He just hoped it tasted better than bitter, gross coffee.

"It's hot chocolate," Camille explained to him. "I've had it once or twice before. It's really good."

Kendall smiled at her, before picking up the mug and taking a sip. A little shudder ran through him. Wow. He ignored his food until he'd finished the whole thing. Hmm, maybe if he won the Games he could eat chocolate all he wanted. Nice thought. He began to eat his breakfast, not stopping until he was full and had to sit back in his chair. He looked across the table at Gustavo and Kelly. Kelly was eating daintily, while Gustavo hadn't begun to eat at all; he just drank from a glass of red juice, thinning it to with some kind of spirit. He would be completely wasted by noon.

Kendall glared across the table at him. For the first time he realised it. No wonder District 12 never won; it wasn't just because they lacked both nourishment and training. Their mentor, their guide in survival, did nothing but sit around and drink. Asshole.

"So," Camille piped up, trying to sound cheerful. "Gustavo. What's the best way to find shelter in the arena?"

Gustavo took another sip of his drink. "Pass the rolls, will you?"

Kendall's eyes narrowed. "What is the best way to find shelter?"

Gustavo chuckled. "Fine, little dog . . ."

He reached over, then Kendall flew to his feet and his knife slammed into the table, right between Gustavo's forefinger and thumb, almost stabbing them. "Kendall!" Kelly shrieked in horror. "That table is mahogany!"

Kendall ignored her. "Listen, because I'll only say this once. You're supposed to give us advice, you're supposed to help us!"

Gustavo gave a loud, obnoxious laugh, getting to his feet with his glass in his hand. "I'll give you some advice, little dog! Stay alive!" He laughed again, raising his glass as though he were about to throw it.

Then Camille jumped up with angry eyes and slapped it out of his hand, smashing it off the floor. "That is not funny! Not to us!"

Gustavo stared at both of them, looking furious. He snapped his fingers at Kelly and pointed towards the door. As soon as she ran out to fetch some to clean up, Gustavo looked at them a little closer. "What's this?" he said almost playfully. "Did I get a pair of fighters this year?"

Kendall and Camille just watched him, slightly puzzled. Gustavo looked at Kendall. "Can you throw that knife?"

"Um . . . yeah, a little." Kendall yanked the blade of the knife from the table and glanced around. He smiled when he saw the wooden chair in the corner of the compartment. Drawing his hand back, he flung the knife across the room. It stuck firmly into the side of the chair, shaking slightly. He smiled to himself. Hopefully the chair was mahogany too.

Ok, you two. Line up here in front of me." They did, and Gustavo examined them closely. "Hmm. You're fit enough. You're a bit small for my liking, blondie, but I suppose you'll do. And once your stylists get a hold of you, you'll be attractive. Enough, anyway."

Kendall and Camille stayed silent, glancing briefly at each other.

"Ok, tributes, I'll make you a deal. If you don't interfere with my drinking, I'll stay sober enough to help you out. We'll carry out one thing at a time. Now, when we stop at the Capitol, you're going to get in a car that'll take you to the Recreational Centre. There, the stylists will fix you up for the Tribute Parade that'll take you to the Training Centre. Now, you may not like what the stylists and prep teams do to you, but whatever it is, don't resist."

"But—"

"Don't resist!" Gustavo snapped at Camille. "I'm trying to help you here, because believe it or not, I want Twelve to have a winner as much as you do."

"Ok," Kendall replied slowly.

The train's horn sounded suddenly. "We're here," Gustavo said with a smile, before turning and leaving the compartment. Kendall and Camille hurried after him, glancing out the window as the train slowed to a stop. Dozens of Capitol citizens were standing on the platform, screaming, cheering and pointing when they saw them.

Camille smiled and waved at them, only making the cheering louder. "What are you doing?" Kendall asked, confused.

"Well, one of them might be a potential sponsor," Camille replied with a laugh, beckoning for him to wave too. So he did. Survival was everything.

* * *

><p>Kendall's prep team had to be the strangest looking people he'd ever seen. Some of the weirdest Capitol people he'd seen so far, and he wondered if there were any who looked weirder. There were three of them; Brooke was clearly the eldest, though she'd had a lot of facial surgery done in an attempt to look younger. She had silvery tattoos all up and down her stick thin arms. Then there was Sandy, who had red hair with skin died to match the sunflower headband she wore. Then TJ, with cerulean blue hair and at least five golden piercings on both eyebrows and earlobes.<p>

They all squealed with excitement and crowded around him once he was sent into their prep room. "Oh, aren't you just the cutest thing!" Brooke squeaked in her heavy Capitol accent, pinching one of his cheeks. "They're going to love you! I mean, once we fix these caterpillars above your eyes . . ."

Fifteen minutes later, Kendall was naked and sitting in a hot bathtub while they scrubbed him with some sort of gritty soap from head to toe. He was sure he had lost not only whatever dirt or scabs or whatever they were trying to get rid of, but at least two layers of skin. He sat there, feeling raw and sore when they were finished, his skin pink.

"Hop up, dear!" Sandy told him, and when he did she dried him off and slipped a small white bathrobe onto his body, and he tied it immediately, covering his body up down to his knees. He didn't like that exposure.

"Ok, next we move on to your hair!" TJ said happily, leading him over to a chair in front of a tall lit up mirror. Wielding a hair dryer while Brooke grabbed a comb and scissors, the two got to work. While they dried and combed his hair out, Sandy sat down in a chair in front of him and took one of his hands, working on filing his nails down to uniform shapes.

"We were told not to do much to your hair," Brooke chirped as she put her comb down once his hair was dry and untangled. "It's so pretty already! We're just going to cut it a little so it won't bother you too much in the arena as it grows again!"

They cut little snippets off his hair, shortening his bangs so they still hung across his forehead but didn't fall into his eyes as much as it used to. As Brooke did that, TJ and Sandy finished off his nails. "Ok," TJ said slowly, standing up. "Now we move on. Some of the boys and probably all of the girls have been getting their body hair removed, depending on their stylist's preferences. Marcos wants us to take out the wax patches and get rid of everything."

Oh God. Kendall shut his eyes in a grimace.

Throughout the hair removal he had his robe taken on and off as they worked. They waxed every potential area of his face where facial hair could grow before rubbing some gel over t so it wouldn't grow back for a while. They waxed his eyebrows down to what they saw as regular size, before yanking off every bit of hair on his torso, arms, legs, everywhere. It was excruciating as he lay on the table while they worked on his legs.

_R-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-P!_

He squeaked one more time in pain as Sandy harshly yanked up another patch of pale leg hair. "I'm sorry, sweetie!" she said in her high-pitched voice. "You're just so hairy!" She got another patch ready. "But this is the last one. Ready?"

Kendall squeezed his eyes shut as the last of his leg hair was uprooted in a painful jerk. He opened his eyes, breathing out slowly. They sat him up. "One more thing," TJ added, taking his robe off again.

They rubbed a thick lotion over every inch of his body. First it stung, but then began to soothe his raw and sore skin. They walked around him, examining his body carefully and removing any last bits of hair with a tweezers. And Kendall found he'd lost that sense of discomfort being so bare around them. It didn't matter much; if they were indifferent to it, them he should be too.

"You're gorgeous!" Brooke complimented him. "Such an improvement!"

Kendall couldn't help smiling at them. They were silly, the lot of them, but they were trying to be genuinely helpful and he appreciated that. "Thank you," he replied. "We don't exactly have much reason to look like this in Twelve."

"Oh, of course not, you poor thing!" Sandy replied, patting him on the shoulder. "We'll go and get Marcos, stay right here!"

They all left, and Kendall stood there alone, arms crossed over his chest. He wondered what the stylist would be like, and what he would dress him in. District 12 were usually dressed in skimpy outfits with miner helmets on. It was embarrassing. Although the worst year had to be when the tributes were completely naked and covered in coal dust. Horrifying.

Then the door opened and Marcos walked in. He had sallow skin, and looked to be in his forties. He had wavy brown hair to his shoulders and was dressed in simple black clothes. He smiled at Kendall when he saw him. "Hello, Kendall. I'm Marcos Del Posey, your stylist."

Kendall smiled at him, moving his hands down to his sides as Marcos walked around him, examining him as closely as the prep team had done. "You're fifteen, correct?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. I thought you might be taller. No matter!" He stood in front of Kendall and gave a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry this has happened to you. My job is simply to dress you, but I'm also here to help you in any way that I can." He cleared his throat. "Anyway. Why don't you put on your robe, and we'll have a chat in here."

Kendall followed him through the door into a living room, sitting down on one of the soft red couches while Marcos sat on the one across from him. There was a low table in between them, and when Marcos pushed a button on the side, the tabletop split in two and a new one rose up, holding their dinner on it. Kendall stared at it with wide eyes. How easy it must be for them, to have a delicious meal like this only the touch of a button away. What did they do all day if they didn't have to find food?

"We must all seem like monsters to you," Marcos said softly as he looked at him. "But you should know that I see no point in congratulating you on this as the others have. But, anyway! On to the parade. My partner Rebecca—she's Camille's stylist—we think that the whole coal miner thing is way overdone. We're here to help you make an impression, to make them all remember you, whatever happens on the arena."

Oh God. Kendall knew he wasn't supposed to protest, but he couldn't help asking. "I won't be naked, will I?"

Marcos chuckled. "No, definitely not. I don't think you would suit that kind of image. We want to focus on the coal itself, rather than the miners. We were thinking, and thinking, and then it hit us. We burn coal, when we use it." He grinned. "What happens when we burn coal, Kendall?"

"Um . . . we have fire?"

Marcos nodded. "We have fire."

That evening, Kendall stood by his and Camille's chariot, stroking one of the coal black horse's backs. The animals were so well-trained that nobody needed to guide them. The parade lasted maybe thirty minutes or so. The tributes were taken down a path through the city in their chariots, then when they got to the City Circle, they stopped and listened to President Moon's speech, before getting off their chariots and walking into the training centre district by district, on foot so people could get a better look at their outfits before they went inside to their home (or prison) until the Games began.

Camille stood next to him, smiling nervously. "Are you afraid of being fried like I am?"

Kendall nodded, turning to look at her. "Just a little."

Camille's hair was down and falling in dark waves past her shoulders. She was wearing a black dress, a one shoulder that was tight down to her waist. After that it flowed in layers of fabric, splitting just below her knee and leaving one leg bare, while the other end of the dress swept the floor. She was wearing flat black ankle boots. She didn't have any makeup on and neither did he; their stylists wanted them to be recognisable. All they had was a bit of black eyeliner, to make their eyes "pop" as Rebecca had said.

Kendall, meanwhile, had black boots on that just came up to below his knees, with some sort of silvery pattern on the top. He was wearing a black shirt, with sleeves that ripped as they came to his forearms and flowed out, waving back and forth when he moved. He had small black shorts on that clung to his legs. What he wanted to know was why he has more skin on display than Camille did. Then, right on cue, Marcos and Rebecca walked up to them.

"You both look stunning!" Rebecca complimented with a smile. "And we haven't even used the fire yet!"

Their fear must have shown on their faces, because Marcos quickly said, "Don't worry, it's not real fire. Rebecca and I created it. It looks like fire, sounds like fire, but doesn't feel like it. Trust me, we've tested it before."

Rebecca held up the wand with a flame flickering on top. "Camille, we're going to light the end of your dress." And she did. "I'm also going to light this . . ." And she set fire to the bracelet on Camille's wrist. "Now! That's specially made so the fire will stay there, just like the patterns on top of your boots, Kendall. If the fire just went all over them it would make your legs look far too short, and we don't want that!"

She bent down and lit his boots on fire, and instead of a burning pain like he's expected, he felt a strange tingling sensation. Then she lit his ripped sleeves. "There! Trust me, we've worked all this out and the fire is going to do wonders on the features we want. You will both glow!"

* * *

><p>James Diamond had never been more nervous in his life.<p>

The tribute parade was about to start, and the sixteen-year-old honestly found the idea terrifying. He couldn't exactly say that he didn't enjoy being in the spotlight. He did, but not like this. Not when his life pretty much depended on his appearance through this whole thing.

"We'll be fine."

James's head snapped to look at his fellow District 11 tribute, Heather Fox. A sweet girl his age that he'd known for years. She gave him a supportive smile. "Just smile and wave, handsome. They're going to love you."

James took a deep breath and gave a big smile. "Thanks, Heather. Um, you, you do the same."

Heather laughed, her made up face lighting up. "Will do."

They were both dressed in soft material the colour of khaki, Heather in a simple strapless dress down to her knees, and James just in a pair of pants, and both wearing matching brown boots. He had no shirt on—his stylist thought his muscular look would give him more of an edge— and there were leafy green vines wrapped around his waist, some hanging down and others winding up around his tanned torso, as if he were a tree. The outfit finished off with a crown of leaves over his hair, little yellow flower buds in it to give it more colour. District 11, agriculture. Heather had vines wrapped around her along with a matching crown, her coal black hair falling down her back and framing her soft face. She looked stunning, and if she did, then hopefully James did too.

"Into the chariot, if you please!" Heather's stylist Cat chirped. "The parade is about to start!"

They got into the chariot, sitting down side by side. "Now, big smiles!" Cat instructed with a high-pitched giggle before walking away.

The parade began with the large double doors of the Remake Centre's ground floor opening up to the main street of the Capitol. The chariots were all lined up inside, from 1 to 12, and they all went out one by one, each remaining chariot moving closer to the door as they did. James looked at the other tributes in front of him. He could just about see District 1 up ahead, moving out the door into the cheering crowds. The two tributes were dressed in white with golden accessories, literally sparkling under the lights. Their blonde hair along with those clothes really worked for them, as well as showing off their District's industry, which was luxury items.

District 2 were wearing silvery grey clothes that looked almost like rippling stone, for masonry. They both looked tough and dangerous, even from behind. District 3 were dressed in silvery mesh with strange patterns all over it, for technology. District 4, dressed in sea blue robes and covered with pearls, for fishing. It went on like that, nothing particularly spectacular this year. Whatever. "You know, this thing is almost like a beauty pageant," Heather commented with a laugh.

James nodded in agreement, suddenly frozen as District 10 rode out into the street and they were next up. "Oh God . . ."

"We're fine," Heather told him firmly, squeezing his shoulder before dropping her hand back down. "Just, think about home, pretend they're our people, and that you like them."

James wasn't entirely sure if he did like all his people, but he went with it. He started thinking about home. The massive fields of grain that he spent his days working in, harvesting food to send to the Capitol. The orchards that he was sometimes put in, picking the fruit to send to the Capitol. Or the cotton he picked to send to the Capitol! Everything was the Capitol, everything. It sucked, it really sucked.

Them suddenly they were out, and the people cheered and shrieked. "James! James! Heather!"

James looked around in awe at the cheering crowds. They were cheering, for him. Maybe he did stand a chance after all! Raising his hand, James smiled and waved at the spectators, getting more cheers and screams in return. This was pretty cool, he could get used to this. He saw himself on one of the large screens above, looking pretty good if he did say so himself. He suddenly saw a faint flickering behind their chariot, and frowned in confusion.

Then he heard gasps from the crowd, and saw people pointing behind him and screaming, "District 12, District 12!"

District 12? The _coal people?_ James glanced up at the screen again, and his jaw dropped.

The coal people were on fire. Literally. Both of them were wearing black clothes that were lit up, flames flickering around their faces and over their bodies. They looked amazing. The crowd was going wild for them, understandably. And they were going with it, waving and smiling. Someone tossed a rose straight at the tribute boy. He caught it in his hand and blew a kiss in the direction it had come from. Instantly the crowd lost it. They all wanted his kisses. "Kendall! KENDALL!"

Kendall . . .

Kendall Knight. James remembered him from the reaping. The small one, the one who'd jumped up to take the cripple's place. The cripple that was his brother. Funny, how he remembered him so well. James looked at him on the screen, studying every detail of his soft yet fierce appearance. Shaggy golden hair. Pale skin. Green eyes. He was captivating. Stunning.

James couldn't help glancing over his shoulder at where Kendall and—Camilla, or something, he couldn't remember anymore—were sitting in their black chariot. God, his smile was so beautiful. So gentle. James honestly forgot all about the people watching him and looking for his attention; he couldn't stop staring.

Then Kendall seemed to sense that he was being watched by someone other than the crowd, and his head slowly turned to look James directly in the eyes. He looked slightly surprised at the attention. They stared at each other for a few seconds, before Kendall gave a tiny smile and hastily turned back to the crowd, a pink blush dusting over his cheeks.

Oh God, James realised with a pang as he turned back around. I can't kill him. I can't. He's too . . . dear God, why is this happening to me now?

James didn't believe in love at first sight. Not even crush at first sight, no siree. Especially not in these circumstances. He chose to ignore the fact that being in this situation old probably make everybody more emotional and more prone to these things.

But no. He didn't believe that. He wanted to win, he wanted to live.

He just had to hope that someone else would kill Kendall Knight for him.

* * *

><p>One thing was for sure. Marcos and Rebecca were right about the fire.<p>

As President Moon spoke to them from the balcony of his mansion, the cameras traditionally cut from chariot to chariot and focused on each pair of tributes. But as Kendall watched the screen, he could see the camera kept going back to himself and Camille. They were the stars of the parade. Then when the National Anthem began to play, District 1 hopped off their chariot and walked across the circle and inside the doors of the Training Centre. And it went on like that.

As District 11 got off their chariot, James Diamond turned to look at him again. Kendall looked away immediately. He shouldn't keep making eye contact with people who were going to try and kill him. They walked in towards the Training Centre doors and then it was Kendall and Camille's turn. They hopped down out of their chariot, heading towards the doors. As they walked, Kendall looked up at the screen as the crowd's screams echoed in his ears. He could see now why Marcos dressed him the way he did. The flames flickering up in the semi-darkness, they made his legs and most of his torso look like it glowed. Camille's clothes had the same effect. Maybe he could get some sponsors after all.

"Hey, I just had an idea," Camille murmured to him as they got closer to the doors. "Turn around when I do, ok?"

"Why?" Kendall hissed, but then she was turning, and he quickly did as she asked, turning to face the spectators. Camille then grabbed his hand and held their intertwined hands up for everyone to see, the crowd going wild in response.

Then they turned back around and went inside, the doors slamming shut behind them. "What was that?" Kendall asked her as Marcos and Rebecca walked towards them.

Camille gave a smirk. "Just a little touch of rebellion for them. Thought they could use it." She paused, smiling at him. "You should wear flames more often. I saw him looking at you. You'll have them all falling at your feet, flowers and chocolate—"

"I do like chocolate," Kendall laughed as Marcos and Rebecca extinguished the flames with some kind of spray from a can. "Maybe that's not such a bad idea."

"Fabulous job out there!" Rebecca praised, giving them both a one-armed hug. "They went mad over you!"

Kendall saw many of the other tributes giving them dirty looks. He couldn't help feeling a little smug; they had completely outshone the rest. His eyes locked with one of the Careers, from District 3. Wayne. The dark-haired boy's eyes narrowed spitefully. Kendall quickly looked away.

"Welcome to the Training Centre, darlings!"

Kelly and Gustavo came walking over. "We'll watch a recap of the parade later so we can all see it," Kelly chirped. "Right now I'm here to take you to your home until the Games!"

Aside from the ground floor and the basement where the gymnasium was situated, the Training Centre had twelve floors. Once you stepped into the extravagant glass elevator you simply pressed the number of your district, and that was the floor you stayed on. Pretty simple. The floor was like a small apartment, with a living room, a kitchen and a bedroom for everyone.

Kendall's room was surely the same size as his entire house. It was amazing; huge, comfortable and full of so many gadgets it just confused him. The shower alone included a huge control panel with a hundred different options, like the kind of soap, water temperature, all these things. The wardrobe could program any outfit he wanted, and for food, all he had to do was read something from the menu, say it into the microphone and up it popped on the table.

Using a remote to zoom his window in on different parts of the city, Kendall sat on the comfy couch in an outfit to his taste sipping hot chocolate until Kelly came and called him for dinner. Oh, good. He was starving.

They all sat down to eat together, the spirits unsurprisingly high. Marcos and Rebecca ate with them, brightening up the whole atmosphere. And keeping Kelly and Gustavo from tearing each other's throats out.

"I've been getting all sorts of potential sponsors for you today, darlings!" Kelly said happily as they tucked into a main course of roast beef and noodles in several different sauces. Unfortunately, I can't seal any deals for you. Only your mentor can do that." Kelly glared at Gustavo pointedly. "But don't worry, I will get him to those tables at gunpoint if I have to."

Gustavo grunted in response.

Kelly sighed, before continuing with an even brighter smile than before. "I didn't have much to go on, of course, but I used what I could! Everyone is raving about you two!"

Marcos smiled dreamily. "District 12, tributes on fire. Marvellous."

"I couldn't help thinking you both looked like dark angels, or some other fascinating creature," Rebecca laughed, taking a sip of her red wine. After taking a few sips, Kendall had stayed clear of his altogether. He didn't know how Gustavo could bear it.

"Kendall Knight, angel on fire," Camille commented absent-mindedly. "You've even got the blonde hair. Perfection."

"You were on fire too, you know," Kendall reminded her as one of the Avox servers gave him a second helping of pasta.

"Oh please, I wasn't a patch on you. Though I did love my dress." Camille turned to look at Rebecca. "Thank you, for that. So what's the next event you're dressing us for?"

"Your interview with Deke Flickerman," Rebecca replied in a matter-of-fact voice, flipping her very bright golden hair over her shoulder. "The night before the Games. But that's not for another three days. You've got your training tomorrow, and the next two days. Them you have a day to prepare for the interview before it takes place in the evening."

"Which brings our discussion to training," Gustavo spoke up, tucking into his food very enthusiastically. Well, once he ate, he ate like he would never see food again. Something Kendall's mother had always said to him. In which he would curtly reply, "We won't see food unless I go and get it." That always shut her up.

"What are your skills?" Gustavo continued, turning to look at Camille. "We'll start with you. What can you do?"

"Um . . ." Camille suddenly looked very flustered. "I, I can't do much at all . . . unless you count baking . . ."

"She's strong," Kendall piped up. "For someone her size and age, I mean. Maybe it's from lugging heavy trays around all day, but she's not weak. And she's a fast runner too."

"And weapons?" Gustavo persisted, looking at Camille again. "What would you say would be right for you?"

"Um, well this one time my dad practiced throwing knives at the tree in the back garden and showed me how to do it. I wasn't bad."

"Ok, it's a start. Kendall can give you tips if necessary, just like you can help him out."

"How can I help him?"

"I'm sure you'll find a way, every tribute needs all the help they can get. Now." Gustavo's hard gaze turned to Kendall. "Your turn, little dog. I know you're handy with a knife. What else?"

"I can climb trees," Kendall replied a little shyly. He didn't like talking about himself. "And, I guess I can run too. And shoot, with a bow and arrows."

"I see. You good at shooting?"

"He's fantastic," Camille cut in, wanting to return the favour. "Most of the merchants and Peacekeepers in the town buy his game. My dad buys his squirrels. Always compliments him, saying he gets them in the eye every time and never breaks the skin."

Kelly beamed proudly. "Judging by what you two say, if you ask me, District 12 could have a winner this year!"

"No use getting their hopes up," Gustavo snapped, before turning back to the tributes. "Ok. I recommend that you two should train together as much as possible in the gymnasium. The fact is that you can help each other to improve your skills as well as develop new ones. But don't go near your strongest points until your private session with the Gamemakers."

"Ok, we can do that," Kendall said quietly.

The dessert was served then, and afterwards they sat down in the living room to watch the parade on television. "What's with you and the farmer boy?" Camille whispered to Kendall halfway through, smirking. "He's totally undressing you with his eyes!"

"He's not!" Kendall hissed. "He was just . . ."

"You're blushing, Kendall."

Kendall and Camille both flinched, looking up to see Kelly standing beside them, having been listed ing in the whole time. She frowned, arms folded. "As much as I praise mingling with others, I don't consider it to be wise during this stage, sweetie. Any fighting between tributes is illegal."

"If you get caught," Gustavo added with a wink. "But feel free to kick his ass without anybody knowing."

Everybody laughed except for Kelly, who looked horrified. "Gustavo, that's not funny, not at all!"

Kendall gave a weak laugh, slowly getting to his feet. "Uh, I'm . . . I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."

He walked down the hallway towards his room, stopping halfway there just to take a breath. All of this was still overwhelming—

"Hey."

Kendall turned around to see Camille standing there. She smiled softly at him. "Do you really want to sleep, or are you just looking to get away?"

"The latter," Kendall sighed, turning away again and staring at a spot on the wallpaper.

"Great." Camille walked past him and beckoned for him to follow her. "I'll show you the roof, then. Rebecca told me where it was, and we can just go up as we please."

"Oh. Alright." Kendall followed her down the hallway. They turned the corner just after the elevator and headed up a flight of stairs to the roof.

The night sky was dotted with bright stars that he could just about see over the streetlights. The Capitol twinkled below them like a swarm of fireflies. Electricity was only available for a few hours a day in District 12, so this was a new sight to see. The night wasn't very cold, though there was a faint wind blowing. Kendall and Camille stood by the railing, looking out over the city. A thought suddenly came into Kendall's head as he looked at the massive drop below him. Normally this was what he would say to Logan or Carlos, but he doubted he would ever see either of them again. So he said it to Camille. "It's funny, how tempted I am to jump straight off the edge."

"I know what you mean," Camille replied, to Kendall's surprise. "But you can't." She stuck her hand out, they both heard an electrical buzzing and she quickly withdrew her hand. "A forcefield, so any suicidal tributes are protected from an early and painless death."

"Always concerned for our safety," Kendall commented sarcastically.

Camille sighed, leaning back and away from the railing. "I just wanted to show this to you before I hit the hay. You coming down?"

Kendall shook his head. "I'll stay a little longer. The fresh air is doing me the world of good right now."

"Ok." Camille patted him on the shoulder. "Goodnight, fire angel."

"You were on fire too!" Kendall called jokingly as she disappeared down the stairs.

Kendall stood there a bit longer, looking out at the city. It suddenly made him think of this one time when he'd hit his head against the wall of the house when he stumbled over Katie's hostile cat, and everything his vision had sparkled and burred until he was able to clear his head. Then, of course, this made him think of home.

_"Kendall, I'm sorry!" Katie squealed, holding his arm. "He didn't mean to trip you!"_

God, dear little Katie. So innocent, oblivious to everything. For God's sake, she was only five when their dad died, she didn't even remember him, she didn't remember anything from those near impossible months.

_"Mom, will you stop staring and look at me!" thirteen-year-old Logan screamed, shaking their mother's shoulders. But she just stared blankly into space, her heart shattered. "Say something!"_

Kendall squeezed his eyes tightly shut so he wouldn't cry. No more crying, not if he could help it.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know anybody else was here."

Kendall jumped out of his skin and turned around to see James Diamond standing at the top of the stairs. Right now, the handsome brunette was dressed in simple clothes and looked very embarrassed. "I just came up . . . my stylist showed me, I didn't think, I can leave if—"

"It's fine," Kendall cut in, giving him a small smile. "Stay." It may have been true that there would be no friends in the arena, but right now life was just too short.

James walked over and stood next to him. For a moment they were both silent. Then James spoke up in a quiet voice. "Do you think they're watching us right now?"

Kendall shrugged. "Maybe. But the wind will make it difficult to hear us."

"I guess so."

More silence.

"What's it like?" Kendall asked hesitantly. "Where you live, I mean."

"Oh." James turned to look at him when he answered. "It's ok, I guess. We work a lot, so we're always outside in the fields or the orchards. But I kind of like it that way." He gave a little grin. "I'm a farmer at heart, no point denying it."

Kendall laughed at the last part. "Nothing wrong with that."

"Hey, have you seen the garden?" James asked suddenly, pointing to the other side of the roof. "It's just over there."

The garden was mostly just rows of potted flowers, or pretty plants growing in flower beds, all neat and tidy. It was nice. Kendall stood there admiring the flowers, while James stood next to him silently.

"You were really brave, you know," James said suddenly. "When I watched you in the reaping. I mean, I have two older brothers and even a younger sister who could've volunteered for me. And you, you went in to save your brother. I just thought . . . I don't know."

Kendall shrugged, pretending to examine a blossom so James hopefully wouldn't see his cheeks turning pink. "Well, I felt like even though my chances are next to nothing, I had a better chance than Logan."

"What happened to his leg?"

Kendall turned to look at James with wide eyes, and the brunette immediately began to stutter. "I-I mean, you don't have to tell me, we barely know each other I was just wondering and I didn't think—"

"Shh." Kendall couldn't help giggling at his cute embarrassment. "You don't have to get so flustered. "

"Sorry."

"Don't apologise," Kendall told him firmly, but still smiled at him all the same. But then his smile fell, because he realised he was actually going to tell James this story. He turned back to the flowers, staring at them hard. "I was ten, and Logan was thirteen," he whispered. "There was an accident. A mining shaft outside the town, one of the smaller ones. My dad went down there to work, with a few others. And my brother was on the ground above it at the time—I can't even remember why—but the explosion underground that killed the miners was so massive it affected the surface as well. Logan broke his left leg when he was blown off his feet and got it stuck under a boulder, and all the muscle in his foreleg was torn."

"Oh, that's terrible." James sounded horrified.

"My mother just collapsed into a depression afterwards. She just sat still, looking into space. She's a healer but she was useless. I'd learned one or two things even though I never wanted to stick around when she was helping anyone, and Logan was able to tell me what to do. I had to do my best with him. I stopped him from bleeding out after the rock tore up his leg, but I had to take him to another healer. He barely managed to keep his leg, and he can't walk right since."

Kendall barely realised he was cold until he touched a hand to his bare arm and had to snap it back because it surprised him a little.

"You're shivering," a voice said softly. Kendall jumped out of his skin when he felt warm fabric coming down to rest on his shoulders and arms. He turned to see James wrapping his jacket around him with gentle hands. He'd forgotten that the other tribute was there.

"I'm fine," Kendall protested weakly, but James ignored him. And he had to admit it was nice, being wrapped up and warm again as he slipped his arms in through the sleeves and tugged the jacket around him. Memories always seemed to make him cold. Funny.

"So," James said in a cheerful voice. "If I'm a farmer, then what are you? You don't look like a miner. Or is that the work of the prep team?"

Kendall laughed, unable to help himself. "Nobody goes down to the mines until they're eighteen. And my brother is unable because of his injury, but my best friend Carlos will be starting work there next year." And he would never see Carlos again, he wouldn't get the chance to hear him whining about the dark tunnels and cold air down below.

"So, if you're not a miner and you're not a healer, what are you?"

"I'm a hunter," Kendall replied, smiling coyly. "I catch game in the woods for my family, and I trade some of it."

"Oh, that's cool, I guess." James seemed to be thinking desperately hard for something else to say.

So Kendall decided he would make the effort for once. "Was your name in the reaping a lot?"

"No. My family is relatively well off, but I still signed up for a little tesserae with my siblings. My name was in about twelve times, I think. You?"

Kendall chuckled. "Three times."

"Seriously?" James looked amazed. "But, from what you've told me, I thought you were poor, that you had almost nothing."

"We are, and that's true. But Logan would never let me sign up for tesserae. Not even once; he took it all. His name was in twenty nine times this year. The odds were completely in my favour, but it didn't matter."

"You must be really close."

"I love him more than anything," Kendall said genuinely. "Anything and anybody. He's like my friend, and a parent, and a brother and a role model all at the same time. I could never let him do this, never."

Another short silence, the only noise the occasional car motor from the street and the chilly breeze. Kendall gave a small sigh, moving away from the garden. "I'm going to go to bed."

"Ok." James looked disappointed to see him go, but he didn't dwell on it.

He was just turning to leave when he stopped, taking James's jacket off and handing it over. "I almost forgot this. Thank you."

"No problem."

Kendall walked across the roof towards the steps, and turned around to look at James one more time. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," James replied, smiling. "And may the odds . . ."

"Be ever in your favour," Kendall finished quietly, smiling weakly before hurrying down the steps. He didn't want to risk crying in front of James Diamond.

James sat on the roof, staring up at the sky for another few minutes, thinking to himself. Yep. He had it bad.

**That's chapter 3 done! So, um next chapter the story will be rated M (that doesn't necessarily mean there's anything M in it, it'll just change then) so if anybody can't find it in the K-T it's because it's not there anymore! :) please review!**


	4. Training, Day 1

**Chapter 4! Hope you like! K, so this probably actually won't be mentioned anywhere in the story, altogether at least. So, I'll just put it here. On this, the careers are Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4, because I wanted more careers, lol. These are the tributes:**

**1. Jett and Mercedes 2. Ozzy and Lucy 3. Wayne and Stephanie 4. Dak and Peggy 5. Guitar Dude and brunette Jennifer 6. Zwagger (BTsuperheroes) and blonde Jennifer 7. Tad (BTbeachparty) and curly Jennifer 8. Tyler and Rachael 9. Jonathon (dark-haired windmill, BTmansion) and Jo 10. Eric (blonde windmill) and Jenny 11. James and Heather 12. Kendall and Camille**

**K, that's all I have to say right now! Enjoy the chapter!**

When Kendall woke up in the morning, there was an outfit hanging up on the front of his wardrobe. He took a shower and put it on; tight black trousers, black boots and a black shirt, with his District number on the back and on each shoulder. Looking at himself in the mirror, he already knew every tribute in the gymnasium would be dressed identically.

They hadn't been given a time for breakfast, but he was hungry, so he left his room and walked to the dining room. He wasn't disappointed; there were carts by the wall with large plates of food. An Avox stood beside it silently. He let Kendall serve himself, and he quickly piled his plate up. Cheese and ham, rolls, some stew, and a large mug of hot chocolate. He sat down at the table and began to eat. Camille and Gustavo arrived a few minutes later, but separately. Once they were all there, Gustavo began to speak. "Listen to my instructions carefully, little dogs. Training is important. Though you know that yourselves. Don't limit yourself, try out anything. But there is one very important thing you need to remember. Don't show the other tributes your strengths. I know I already mentioned this, but it's important. No archery, and no weightlifting."

"Got it," Camille replied obediently.

"And, in public you two are to stick together like glue, am I clear? This friendship strategy is something you can use to your advantage, and that's what you'll do. No arguments."

It was a good thing neither Kendall nor Camille had a problem with it.

Kendall stayed in his room until it was time to go down to training. The elevator ride took less than a minute. The gymnasium was below the ground floor, massive and filled with weapon stations and obstacle courses. As Kendall had expected, everyone was dressed identically. And his heart sank when he looked at them all, standing together. Most of the boys and at least half the girls were taller than he was. But underfed. While Kendall was skinny, he was fit, and not terribly malnourished, like some of them were. But still, this wasn't good. They were all a threat. Every single one of them.

"Good morning, tributes," the head trainer called out, immediately capturing their attention. His bizarre appearance certainly helped him out with that; he had jet black hair that spiked up at the top, before hanging down loosely over one eye. He wore a shiny gold sweatband around his head and a matching jacket. So strange. But what was new?

"My name is Mr X, and I'm your head trainer. For the next two days, you will be training here in preparation for the Games while the Gamemakers watch—" He pointed to the raised platform at the end of the gymnasium. "—and then on the third day, the private sessions will take place. During your training, you are not permitted to use another tribute as a training partner; we have assistants who can help you with that."

He produced a piece of paper and cleared his throat, just to be sure everyone was still listening. "The available training stations are . . . archery, edible plants, knot tying, sword combat . . ." The list went on, and when he finished he looked at all of them slowly. "Listen carefully. In a mere few weeks, twenty three of you will be dead and one will be our victor. You have two days to ensure that there is a better chance the victor will be you. Don't overlook the survival stations! Plenty of you will be killed by other tributes, but there are also those who will die because they eat an inedible plant, or are unable to find water or keep themselves warm at night. Never overlook anything."

And with that, he left them to it. Kendall turned to Camille. "What do you want to do first?"

"Um . . ." Camille glanced around thoughtfully, Kendall following her gaze. He saw the Careers immediately at the weapon stations, handling the heaviest with ease and deadly precision. Just a little worrying. "Maybe, the knots?"

"Works for me," Kendall replied with a shrug.

The trainer at the knot tying was delighted to have them. Clearly his station wasn't the most popular. He showed Camille some basic knots, and when he learned Kendall already knew quite a few and could use basic animal snares, he showed them both a simple snare trapped that could leave a human who stepped into it dangling from a tree by their leg. They practiced it for a while until they'd both mastered it. "Um, so what happens if you get caught in one?" Camille asked.

The trainer gave a chuckle. "Hope you'll have a knife if it happens, because cutting it is the only way out. Be prepared to land on your head."

They went to work on the climbing course next. It stretched up, ropes and various other thing to climb up, until it reached the ceiling and stretched across for a while, like a long rope net. Kendall hopped up without difficulty, climbing it with ease and sitting at the top for a moment or two.

He couldn't help watching the Careers with worried eyes. Lucy stood at the knife targets, throwing each one only a second apart, her teeth gritted in determination. She never missed, not even once. Then he saw Wayne, practically slicing a dummy in half with a sword, smiling coldly. All eight of them were formidable enemies.

Kendall looked down to see Camille struggling to climb up to him. The ropes swung as she climbed, and she couldn't keep her feet up. "Come on, you can do it, Cam," Kendall said encouragingly, looking up to see a few of the Careers watching her, laughing or smirking.

But Camille squeaked in fright as she slipped completely off the rope, falling onto the floor with a loud thump and a grunt of pain. And several of the Carers burst into laughter at the sad cases from District 12. Kendall quickly climbed down and bent down beside her, helping her up. "You ok?"

Camille nodded, wincing a little as she stood up. "I haven't much breath left and I sting a little . . . but I'll recover."

Kendall nodded in relief. Then he looked over at the Careers, hating them with all he could.

"That rope course is harder than it looks," Camille was sighing, face scrunched up a little in pain.

"Let's go over to the knives," Kendall said suddenly.

"What? But, Gustavo said—"

"To stay away from what we're good at, I know. But right now those bitches are looking at us like we're chunks of meat. Let's go throw some knives."

Camille stared at him doubtfully for another second. Then she nodded with a smile. "Ok. Let's do it."

Leaving the climbing course, they walked over to together to the now empty knife station. Kendall glanced down briefly at the selection before picking one up that he liked. He ran the tip of his finger over the blade, smiling and looking st th dummies lined up with targets drawn on them. "You ready?"

Camille, who held another knife in her own hand, grinned at him. "Ready."

Kendall could feel the eyes of the Careers on his back as he raised his hand, preparing to throw. "One, two . . ."

"Three!"

Kendall's arm snapped forward the same time Camille's did, and both knives shot towards the dummies. Kendall's blade stuck in the bullseye of the face, while Camille's struck its chest, just slightly off centre. The knives both quivered but stayed in place. When Kendall glanced over his shoulder, he was happy to see that the Careers weren't smirking anymore. Most of them, anyway. Jett gave a little smile and commented, "Not bad." Mercedes was staring at him with what looked like curiosity in her eyes, and Lucy didn't look happy at all. Then Wayne was just glaring, totally mutinous. Kendall quickly looked away from him. That stare made him uncomfortable.

They practiced throwing knives for another short while, and then it was time for lunch. They ate in a dining room next to the gymnasium. There were carts laden with food along the walls, and you walked along to serve yourself before sitting down at a table. A lot of tributes sat alone, lost in their own thoughts. The Careers all sat together at one table, talking in loud voices and laughing, occasionally giving the other tributes disdained glances, as if to show they were above everybody else.

Kendall and Camille had no trouble sitting together; they ate and talked quietly amongst themselves. Camille showed Kendall the different rolls of bread from the different Districts, able to identify each one. "See? This crescent one is from District 11, and this greenish one is from 4."

Kendall nodded, smiling. "You know a lot about bread, don't you?"

"I don't know much else," Camille replied with a shrug.

Then suddenly two shadows fell over their table. Kendall glanced up and saw James and that girl—oh, what was her name? He'd forgotten—standing above them, holding plates of food and looking uncomfortable. "Um, every other table is full," James began. "You don't mind, do you?"

Kendall glanced at Camille, and when she didn't object he smiled up at them and said, "Sit down."

They both smiled in relief and sat down at the table. "So," Heather began. "Are we going to converse, or just ignore each other?"

"Converse, I guess?" Camille replied uncertainly, making it sound like a question.

But then the table fell silent, except for the sound of them eating. Nobody really knew what to say. But it was alright that way.

"They're looking at us," Heather said suddenly. "Them, over there. The higher districts."

And sure enough, they were. Some were smirking, others were scowling. "Can't they just ignore us?" Kendall sighed. "It's not as though we're a massive threat to them."

"Not yet."

The other three sitting at the table, turned to look at Camille, but she just shrugged and went back to eating. They ate again in silence, all thinking to themselves. Or so Kendall thought. But when he looked up from his plate of food he caught James staring right at him with his warm hazel eyes. Immediately James looked away again, a blush colouring his cheeks. "Looking for something?" Kendall enquired in a low voice.

"N-no, I just, I was just thinking about . . ." James gave a small smile. "Nothing, never mind." He went back to eating, a slightly dreamy smile on his face.

Kendall rolled his eyes, a little annoyed. He wondered if James had been thinking about what Kendall had told him last night. It bothered him. He didn't like people thinking he was vulnerable, or weak. It made him feel . . . exposed, and he didn't like it. When lunch ended and they all split up again, he was relieved.

While Kendall and Camille practiced throwing spears (which they weren't bad at, even if neither of them could throw very far), Camille turned to Kendall and said, "Don't look now, but we have a little shadow."

Kendall, of course, did look. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Tyler, standing a little bit away and watching them with an innocent gaze. Kendall turned away again, biting his lip. "He shouldn't be here, Camille."

"None of us should, Ken," Camille replied quietly, before flinging another spear at the dummies.

* * *

><p>"Can you deliver these down to Greasy Sae's place, love?" Sylvia Garcia asked her son as she handed him the package of washed and dried clothes. "I'll have the dinner ready when you come back, ok?"<p>

Carlos did as she asked and left the house, walking along the Seam towards the home of Greasy Sae, the woman who sold soup in the Hob. He and Kendall often gave her meat and herbs to add to her pot. They were friends, in a way. Carlos delivered the clothes, and was walking back home when his mind wandered to the Capitol. What was Kendall doing right now? Was he thinking about him? Probably not.

Carlos was thirteen when he met Kendall. He could remember it perfectly. It was in the spring, when the snow had melted and he could go and hint in the woods again. He had gone with his father a few times before, but when he died he had to go alone. His mother ran a small laundry business but it was never enough. That was how they met. Providing for their families.

_Carlos stepped quietly over the broken twigs and fallen leaves, all his hunter senses on alert. Even when he wasn't looking for anything to catch, he preferred to stay silent. He was going to check on one of his snares. He knew it was around here somewhere. He was just stepping over a large branch when he heard the crack of a twig breaking under someone's foot, and he stopped. There was definitely somebody else lurking about. He immediately picked up the pace, and found himself peering out from behind some bushes._

_There he was. Standing there, barely four feet tall, blonde hair sticking out from under a baggy beanie hat. He was wearing a massive brown leather hunting jacket that came halfway down his thighs, much too big for him. He was also wearing black pants and boots. He held a bow in one hand with a quiver of arrows strapped over his back. His other small and pale hand was delicately brushing over the knot in the snare that held the rabbit in place hanging from the air._

_"Stealing is punishable by death, you know," Carlos commented as a way of revealing himself, standing up straight._

_The smaller boy jumped backwards in fright, stumbling a little and staring up at him. He had such bright green eyes, and Carlos couldn't stop gazing at them. He looked slightly familiar, but Carlos couldn't place him anywhere. Then he spoke. His voice was small and sweet, a little like music, but somehow the tone was almost fearless as he replied, "I wasn't trying to steal it."_

_"Oh, sure," Carlos chuckled, walking towards him. "You're fooling no one, little blondie."_

_"I'm telling the truth!" the stranger said defiantly, his voice getting just a little higher as his eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I was just looking at the snare! I tried making some, but they never catch anything."_

_"Oh, is that so?" Carlos raised his eyebrows and moved to stand next to the little blonde. "That's a nice bow you've got there. Where did you get it?"_

_"My father made it."_

_"Is that how you catch things, since apparently your snares are useless?"_

_The boy nodded, a trace of a smile on his face for the first time. He was clearly proud. And if a little kid like this was proud, and a little kid like this was actually smiling, it had to be something interesting._

_"Show me," Carlos requested, watching him carefully._

_The boy looked up at him, slightly puzzled. Then he shrugged and pulled an arrow out of his quiver, putting it in place and raising the bow. "What'll I hit?"_

_Carlos looked around, biting his lip. "Um . . ." Then he spotted, a good bit away, a bird sitting on a branch. "What about that?" he whispered, pointing. "Can you get that?" It was a tough shot, with several leaves and little branches obscuring the view._

_But the blonde just raised the bow and held it up, ready to fire. Carlos saw his lips part as he exhaled once, slowly. Then he let go, and the arrow shot through the air, so quickly Carlos didn't even see it until the little bird landed on the forest floor with a soft thump, the tip of the arrow lodged in its skull. The boy smiled, pleased with himself. He had a cute little dimple in his left cheek. A nice smile._

_"That's impressive," Carlos commented, turning to look down at him._

_"It's not that good," he replied, back to his nonchalant self. "My father could shoot them right in the eye, without piercing the skin. I've been practicing, with the techniques he taught me and I nearly got it that time. But I didn't."_

_"Even so," Carlos added quickly, for some reason eager to get rid of the edge of disappointment in the boy's voice. "I doubt I could get that bird at all, let alone right in the head. How old are you?"_

_"Just eleven."_

_"Hmm." Carlos smiled thoughtfully. "That's interesting." He paused, looking at his snare for a moment, before turning to look at the little blonde. "Alright, blondie. What to you say about making a deal?"_

_"What kind?"_

_"I'll teach you how to make good snares hat always get something, if you can teach me how to shoot like that. We can help each other out."_

_The little kid looked thoughtful for a moment or two, biting his bottom lip with little white teeth. Then he gave a little smile. "Ok."_

_"Great!" Carlos held out his hand, and they shook once before letting go immediately. Glancing up at the sky, he saw murky grey clouds overhead and sighed. "We can start tomorrow, I suppose. It's going to rain heavily by the look of it."_

_The boy shrugged. "Alright. Will we meet here tomorrow, then?"_

_"At noon." Carlos smiled as he detached the dead rabbit from the snare and stuffed it into his forage bag. "That is, if you can find your way back here."_

_"Of course I can!" the boy snapped indignantly. "I know my way around, I'm not a baby!"_

_"Oh, I'm just messing with you!" Carlos laughed. "Relax. Hey, I never got your name! Mine's Carlos. Carlos Garcia. Thirteen, if you were going to ask."_

_"I wasn't. I'm Kendall Knight."_

_Carlos's breath caught in his throat, because now he remembered who the little boy was. Logan Knight's little brother. He didn't even know Logan much at all, but they'd both been in the Justice Building on the same today, to collect medals for their families after their father's were killed in the accident. Logan had walked with a limp—his leg all bandaged up, Carlos remembered—before taking the little blonde by the hand and leading him home, a dazed looking mother following with their little sister. It had only been a couple of months back. He remembered it perfectly._

_"Alright, Kendall. Tomorrow it is."_

_They were both going the same way to get back under the fence, but the didn't speak. Until Kendall looked up and gave a little dreamy smile. "Look, a mockingjay."_

_Carlos looked up and saw one of the funny little birds perched on a branch. "Yeah. There's another one over there." He knew what mockingjays could do, of course, but he'd never cared much. They were just birds who whistled what they heard, to him._

_"My father loved mockingjays," Kendall sighed wistfully. Then he smiled. "Wanna see something cool?"_

_"Ok, sure."_

_Kendall was silent for a second, then he opened his mouth and started to sing, catching Carlos off guard. His voice was beautiful. He was sure the entire woods had fallen silent just to listen. "Deep in the meadow, under the willow, a bed of grass, a soft green pillow . . ."_

_Carlos's face broke into a smile as the mockingjays started to whistle Kendall's little song back to them, their eerie little chirps echoing around through the trees, singing at different times. "Wow."_

Carlos wasn't sure when exactly he and Kendall had become friends, and then best friends. It just happened. They did teach each other how to shoot and make snares, and they talked and laughed as they did. They could be themselves around each other. They could tell each other anything. They had been through so much together. And Carlos's face blushed scarlet and his heart hammered in his chest when he thought of some of it. But that was in the past now. Probably no going back to that, even if Kendall did survive. Too bad, really. He'd enjoyed it. He enjoyed every moment with Kendall.

"Going home for dinner?"

Carlos had barely realised he was near the Knights' house. He suddenly figured out that he'd been walking there without realising it, just subconsciously. Logan was speaking to him, standing a little way down the path, without his cane.

"Yes," Carlos replied. "I don't know why I came here."

Logan shrugged. "Habits. We all have them."

There was silence for a moment or two. Then Carlos spoke up. "Would you like to come eat with us? There'll be enough, and I know you can't really stand being there . . ."

"That's nice of you," Logan replied with a smile. "I'll come."

"Are you going to let your mother know?"

"She'll figure it out. I haven't eaten dinner with them for a while now."

They had only walked down down the road a few steps when Carlos stopped. Listening to Logan's uneven footsteps made him wonder. "Why don't you use your cane outside the house?"

Logan stopped too, looking shy and sullen. "It makes me feel like . . . like I'm vulnerable, like everybody thinks I'm a weakling."

"I don't think you are."

"Thank you," Logan said with a grin, blushing slightly.

Carlos sighed, smiling back. "I'll wait here. Go get your cane. You know you manage better with it."

It was a moment or two before Logan replied. "Ok. Whatever you say."

**Well, there's chapter 4! See any hinting there about Carlos and Kendall? ;) you'll find out about that soon. Please review!**


	5. Training Scores

**Ok, last chapter I forgot to change the rating, lol. So I've just decided that the first time an M thing pops up that's when the rating will change, I'll let you know in the chapter beforehand! It'll be in two or three chapters time. Enjoy this chapter! :) It is James-centric because of various reasons! You'll find out later, hehehe . . .**

James was not good with a bow and arrow, that was for sure.

He picked up his third arrow and third attempt, having failed epically the first two times. He heard a Career sniggering as they'd walked past him, but chose not to even bother looking and see who it was. He slid his next arrow into place and drew back. He was struggling to hold still, tensing the muscles in his arms and trying to concentrate on the target.

But as he released, James's hands shook and the arrow flew off past the dummy, not even close to hitting it. He sighed in frustration.

"You need to relax."

James glanced to his right and saw Kendall standing a few feet away, waiting in the line for the Gauntlet obstacle course. "You're too tense," the blonde said quietly, barely looking at him in case he was told off for speaking to him. "Keep your hands relaxed and just let it go."

James looked down at the bow and decided to do what he said, picking up another arrow and putting it in place. He raised the bow and drew back, then took a deep breath before relaxing his arms. Keeping still, he watched the target carefully, then let go. The arrow shot through the air and the head stuck right in the centre of the dummy's abdomen. James turned to grin at Kendall. "Thanks."

Kendall just smiled back, not saying a word. When it was the blonde's turn to go on the obstacle course, leaping from platform to platform as the trainers on either side swung padded clubs at him and tried to knock him off, James couldn't help watching. Kendall was very nimble, hopping out of the way of a club aimed for his legs before finishing up. Maybe that came from hunting in the forest. He didn't know.

When it was Camille's turn he watched her too, noting that she was also an expert at jumping and dodging over the course. Clearly District 12, who were usually the duds of the group, seemed quite good this year. He wondered what the public would think of that.

During lunch, James and Heather sat with Kendall and Camille again, making small talk. Mostly about the food. Being from two of the poorest Districts, they'd always had very little. Then in afternoon training James worked on more archery, along with hand-to-hand combat, something he figured he might need.

He was exhausted by the end of the day, saying goodbye to Heather once they reached their floor, walking up into his room and slamming the door shut behind him. An Avox was tidying the bed, and jumped in fright at the sound, looking up.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean—wait! I know you!"

His brown eyes met James's in a frightened stare before he quickly looked away again. He went back to frantically arranging the bed sheets. But James wasn't going to give up that easily. He was sure he'd seen that face somewhere before. He was positive.

"I do know you!" James insisted, walking over to him. "Sorry, I don't mean to scare you. Who are you?"

The Avox just stared at him. James eyed his tan skin, that trademark look of District 11. Somehow, it made him think of that colour the earth was during summer when they worked in the fields all day, sweat sliding off their backs as their hair stuck flat to their foreheads—

"Oh my God . . . Dirt Boy?"

James instantly felt guilty. Dirt Boy had worked hard around the area James lived, pulling equipment around to and from the fields, digging through the dirt with his bare feet all day long. He was always grubby, and so came the nickname Dirt Boy. He'd had it for years. And James felt bad knowing he'd never bothered to learn his real name, not even when he disappeared last September without any apparent reason.

The Avox nodded reluctantly, obviously terrified he would get into trouble for interacting with a tribute.

"You are Dirt Boy. Well . . . um, what's your real name? If you don't mind me asking . . ."

Dirt Boy obviously did mind, and seemed to think about whether or not he should answer for a few seconds. Then he sighed, holding up his left hand. He traced the shape of a C in the air, followed by what James thought looked like a H. Then R, I . . .

"Chris? Christopher?"

Dirt Boy shook his head.

"Ok, uh . . ." Then James got it. "It's Christian, isn't it?"

A nod.

"Ok, Christian." James glanced over his shoulder, almost expecting to see someone storm in at any moment. He had more questions he wanted to ask. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to you? Why are you here?"

Christian looked horrified at the thought of telling him.

"You can trust me, you know. I won't say a word."

Christian frowned thoughtfully for a second, looking around the room. He hurried across the room to the dresser, where there were little convenient items like tissues and washcloths. And a notepad with a pen attached. What use a tribute could make of that, James didn't know. But he was go glad they had it.

Christian walked back over, beginning to write. But James could already see he wasn't very good at it. What would've taken him all of ten seconds to write took him at least thirty, as the pen shook in his hand and he repeatedly scribbled letters out. At last he held the note out to James, who read it quickly.

_I was a rebel._

"A rebel?" James stared at him in shock. "Like, a real rebel? Against the Capitol? And they caught you?"

Christian nodded.

"Oh. Um . . . what were you doing, that they caught you?"

Christian held out his hand for the notepad. James quickly handed it over again. And waited another few minutes for the uneducated Avox's reply. He eventually got it.

_Getting ready for this year._

"This year?" James looked up in surprise. "Like, the Games? You're rebelling in the Games? Is there a tribute helping you, or a Gamemaker? What the hell is this? Is something going to happen?"

Then James heard voices outside the door. It sounded like Cat, and James's own stylist, Cameron. Shit.

Christian quickly held his hand out for the notepad and James gave it to him. "C'mon, Christian." He glanced over his shoulder, eating the voices getting closer.

Christian was going as fast as he could but it wasn't fast enough.

"Hurry up, they're almost here!"

Then the door was opening just as Christian flung the notepad and pen on the floor before leaning down over the bed, picking up a pillow and plumping it firmly.

"Hello, James," Cameron greeted, watching the Avox with wary eyes. "Are you coming to dinner?"

"Of course," James replied, repeating every curse he knew in his mind as Christian hurried from the room, taking any possibly important information with him. "I'm just going to change my shirt."

"Alright. Come down when you're ready."

As soon as she was gone, James dived towards the floor and picked up the notepad and pen, tearing the first page off before putting them both back in their place. Finally he looked at the page, reading what was written there.

_Trust Griff_

That was it. He could see Christian hadn't finished writing. There was a small piece of the next letter written, but not enough to tell James what it was. Dammit! What—or who—the heck was Griff? A Gamemaker?

He just knew that his only way of finding out was to hope Christian came back and he could talk to him again. Or else try and figure out who 'Griff' was.

But what he really wanted to know was if any of this could help him to survive.

* * *

><p>James spent the morning of training working on his survival skills. He figured he'd need them. He was used to being outside, sure, but not over really long periods of time like this. He worked outside when the sun was beating down and the water was good. He didn't know what kind of weather he would get here. And yes, maybe James knew more about edible plants and insects than most people here, but he was more worried about dying of thirst or the cold.<p>

So he worked on building fires, and hammocks, and setting traps for food until lunch arrived. It seemed only a few seconds before it began.

"Jett Stetson."

Jett was the first to leave the lunchroom for his private training session. The rest of the tributes sat around the room, twiddling their thumbs and waiting for their turn. The Careers were together again, as were some districts, including James and Heather and Kendall and Camille. They waited maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, before the next tribute was called.

"Mercedes Griffin."

James's head snapped up, eyes wide as he watched the tall blonde girl walk out of the room with a tall and determined stance. Mercedes Griffin. Griff. Griffin. Slowly the puzzle was starting to piece together in James's mind. Trust Mercedes Griffin? But she was a Career, she had to be the least trustworthy person around here!

Maybe Christian didn't mean Griffin at all. Or maybe there was another Griffin around here. Yes, that had to be it. That was the only thing that made sense—

"Ozzie Clark."

Already? James looked up as the biggest tribute there walked out of the room. Ok, no more thinking about Griff for now. He had to concentrate on impressing the Gamemakers.

* * *

><p>"Kendall Knight."<p>

Kendall's head snapped up in surprise. Damn. That was quick.

"Good luck," Camille smiled as he got up.

"Thanks. You too." Kendall took a deep breath and walked inside to the gymnasium. Instantly his eyes fell on the Gamemakers on their realised platform. A couple nodded at him as he walked in. But the rest barely looked. They were all focusing on their food and wine, singing and giggling drunkenly amongst themselves.

Kendall sighed, trusting that they would look once he actually started. He eagerly made his way over to the bows and picked one up. God, he'd been waiting two days to get his hands on these! It felt so good as he held it in his hand, so familiar. So comforting. He took some arrows and got ready to begin.

After hitting each dummy right on target in a matter of seconds, he turned to look up at the Gamemakers. Again, one or two nodded with approval, and the rest didn't look. They were all laughing and eyeing up some large roasted pig that had just been brought in.

Kendall stared at them with wide eyes, wanting to scream and shout and wreck everything just to get their attention. But he wasn't even sure that would work either.

He was frustrated and hurt and angry. They weren't even looking at him. They were more interested in their stupid banquet than what he was doing, and he was supposed to be trying to impress them! How could he do that when they wouldn't even pay attention to him? Those stupid, self-centered, arrogant PRICKS!

Kendall raised the bow, selecting a target in a matter of seconds. A chubby Gamemaker with a massive feathery hat on his head. He looked more like the dead pig than a human being. They were all scheming, ignorant pis, all of them! He pulled back, exhaling once, slowly. Then he released.

Shrieks of terror were heard as the Gamemakers scrambled out of the way, the chubby one himself frozen in horror as he stared at Kendall with wide eyes. They all turned to look at where his hat was now firmly lodged in the wall, before turning back to Kendall.

Kendall, who was so angry he wasn't thinking rationally, gave a little bow and snarled, "Thanks for your consideration! I really fucking appreciate it." Then flinging the bow onto the floor, turned around and stormed off towards the elevator.

Then as soon as he was inside and flying up towards the twelfth floor, he clapped a hand to his mouth, suddenly trembling all over when he realised what he'd done. Oh God, he'd shot a Gamemaker's hat! What the hell was he thinking? He wasn't thinking, he'd been completely out of his mind! He had no chance now, none at all!

How could he be so stupid . . .

When he arrived on his floor, Kendall stormed out, past a gaping Avox and past the living room where he could hear Kelly calling him. He ran into his room, slamming the door shut and locking it firmly, before he finally let the tears out. He fell down onto his bed, sobbing into the pillow, both in rage and just in sorrow. He was such an idiot, and he was going to pay for it. What would they do to him? Execute him? Cut out his tongue and make him an Avox? No, no. They wouldn't do that, they needed a tribute. They'd probably score him a zero for that, he'd get no sponsors and he'd be dead by day 2. Well, he didn't know how he could've hoped for anything different. He was District 12, and this was what happened to little 'Seam vermin' like him, as Camille's mother put it.

Oh God, Camille! Would they mark her poorly now because of him? Oh shit, he hadn't thought of that. Was Camille going to pay for his mistake too?

Oh God. No. What if they hurt Logan? Or Katie? Or any of them, what if they punished them for what he did?

He should have apologised, or just laughed like he was only joking! He'd been so disrespectful . . .

Kendall cried for at least an hour, shaking as his head throbbed painfully. They would probably set starving animals on him in the arena. Or blow him up, or something. He didn't have a chance, not a chance in hell.

"Kendall, sweetie?" Kendall looked up when he heard Kelly's voice. "Are you coming to dinner?"

"I'm coming!" Kendall called hoarsely, getting to his feet and stumbling towards the bathroom. He got to work on his face, washing it and drying it off so he looked a little more presentable. Then he changed out of his training clothes into a plain outfit, took a deep breath, and left his room. He walked into the dining room, sitting down without a word. He looked around and saw, to his dismay, that Marcos and Rebecca were here. He didn't want them to see. Suddenly he felt terrible about letting Marcos down. He looked down and ate his fish soup silently, the salty taste just making him think of all the tears hed shed.

"So, how did you do?" Gustavo asked.

Since it was clear Kendall wasn't going to speak, Camille answered first. "I don't know why, but they were so on edge when I went in there. All watching me like hawks. But I threw some heavy stuff around and flung a few knives until they told me I could go. It was ok, I guess."

Gustavo turned to look at Kendall. "What about you, little dog?"

Kendall gritted his teeth. "I . . ."

"Yes?"

"I-I shot the Gamemakers!"

"You WHAT?" Kelly gasped, staring at him in horror.

"Well, I didn't shoot them, I just shot this guy's hat . . . they were ignoring me and I just lost it, I'm sorry!"

"What did they say?" Rebecca asked.

"I don't know, I left before they could say anything—"

"Without being dismissed?" Kelly gasped.

"I dismissed myself," Kendall murmured softly, feeling Camille's hand on his shoulder.

"Well, what's done is done," Gustavo shrugged.

"What'll happen to me? And my family?"

"Oh, nothing," Gustavo replied dismissively. "See, they can't do much to you or your family that'll actually benefit them without revealing what happened, and that's meant to be secret. It's a waste of time and effort. At most they'll make your life hell in the arena, which I'm pretty sure they're gonna do already."

"I'll get a bad score?"

"I guess so. But it's only the good scores that matter; nobody pays attention to the average or bad ones."

"Anyway, it could be seen as a clever strategy," Marcos added with an encouraging smile. "I'm sure you remember when the victor a couple of years ago got a three in training. You could be fooling your opponents into thinking you're not a threat. It could work for you."

"Really?" Kendall asked, unable to believe they'd managed to cheer him up.

"Really," Marcos replied with a nod and anther smile.

"Hopefully that's how they'll interpret the three I probably got," Camille chuckled. "Well, at least thanks to your recklessness they paid attention to me. Thanks, blondie."

"You're welcome," Kendall said almost numbly. He still couldn't believe it.

"So," Gustavo smirked. "Tell me. What were their faces like?"

Kendall couldn't help giggling at the memory. "Horrifed, mostly. Oh, I remember one of them fell over into a bowl of punch!"

Everyone laughed, and Kendall looked to see the corner of Kelly's mouth twitching. "Well, it serves them right. Just because you're the poorest District, they had no right to ignore you!"

Everyone stared at her, Kelly blushing as if she'd said something outrageous. "I'm sorry, but that's what I think!"

Rebecca smiled, holding up her wine glass. "Well, a toast! To Kelly and her fantastic new opinions! They couldn't be more true!"

They were all in high spirits for the rest of the meal, chatting and laughing as they finished off their food. When they were done they gathered in the living room to watch the scores. Suddenly Kendall found himself nervous again. Whether this was seen as strategy or not, he couldn't help worrying about looking like a fool. Or if the people back in 12 would be disappointed in him. If Logan or Carlos would be disappointed in him. He curled up, kicking his shoes off and hugging his knees, suddenly not wanting to watch anymore.

"Hello, hello!" Claudius Templesmith boomed from the television set. Deke Flickerman sat beside him, wearing bright blue-framed glasses that matched his powdered hair and sparkly suit.

"Ok, Deke, let's move on to the training scores, shall we?"

Deke Flickerman nodded with an almost blinding smile. "Definitely! As usual, we'll start with District 1. Mercedes Griffin, her score is . . . eight!"

And on it went.

"Jett Stetson, nine! Lucy Stone, ten! Oh, and Ozzie Clark, ten!"

"Looks like District 2 have some serious contenders this year, Deke!"

"Couldn't agree more, Claudius! Alright, on to District 3. Stephanie King, eight! Wayne Dooley, ten!"

"Peggy White, seven! Dak Zevon, nine!"

"Jennifer Woods, four! Barnett O'Hara, six!"

"Jennifer Goss, five! Zwagger Burnham, four!"

"Jennifer Jayde, 5! Tad dePew, six!"

"Rachael diPillo, four! Tyler Duncan, seven!"

"Jo Taylor, seven! Jonathon Edwards, six!"

"Jenny Tinkler, four! Eric Nelson, five!"

"Heather Fox, six! James Diamond, nine!"

"Wow, that's a good score for District 11!"

"It certainly is! And now, last but not least—"

Kendall was sure millions of people across Panem were laughing right now. Oh God, he could only imagine how much they would laugh when Deke read out his score. He hid his face in his knees, not wanting to watch.

"Camille Roberts, eight!"

"Well done," Kendall murmured sadly. "You did great."

"Kendall Knight . . ."

There was silence. Kendall looked up to see Deke Flickerman looked at his paper in slight confusion. He couldn't blame him.

Then he was shocked to see the presenter's face light up as he shouted, "Eleven!"

Kendall's jaw dropped. "What! How does THAT make sense?" He turned to Gustavo in bewilderment.

The man shrugged. "I guess they liked your attitude. A life without risks is a life unlived, little dog."

"I might have to use that as my motto from now on," Kendall said softly, staring at the screen as Deke and Claudius talked about the scores in excited voices. Kendall started smiling. Surely he had a better chance of getting sponsors now more than ever! And Camille did too, he was sure of it.

"Great job!" Camille was praising, ruffling his hair affectionately. "Bet you weren't expecting that!"

"You've got fire, Kendall," Gustavo congratulated. "You both do. Good job."

* * *

><p>"Carlos, he got eleven!"<p>

"I know, I can see the tv too!"

"ELEVEN!"

"YES, I know, Logan!"

Carlos had to laugh at Logan's excitement. "That's higher than anybody else this year! Higher than the Careers! It's amazing!"

"Hey, what did I tell you? You needed to have faith on him!"

"Oh come on, you couldn't possibly have expected him to do this well!"

"Alright, maybe I didn't. But hey, be proud of him!"

"I am proud," Logan choked, tears suddenly building up in his eyes. "I'm so fucking proud of him right now."

Carlos hugged him tightly, ignoring the cheers of his family around them. "Now we just have to tune in tomorrow night for the interviews! Do you think he might be on fire again?"

"Maybe, we'll just be to see!" Logan hobbled over to the door with his cane, grabbing his coat. "I should probably get ack and see my family."

"I'll come with you!" Carlos said eagerly, following him. He looked back at his mother. "I'll be back soon, don't worry!"

As they were walking aback up the road to Logan's house, laughing happily, they linked arms and walked along, Logan finding it a little easier to walk with extra support.

"You know, I should take you to the woods sometime," Carlos suggested. "I'm sure you miss going there when you were a child."

"I do miss it," Logan sighed happily. "Is this an official arrangement, then?"

"It's a date, Logie."

**Anyone wondering, I mostly used the last names of the people who play these characters for the ones I didn't know. Barnett O'Hara is Guitar Dude for those who don't know, then Jennifer Woods is brunette, Goss is blonde and Jayde is the curly haired one. Next chapter will begin the Games, of a sort . . . and the interview will be in it too! Cargan will officially start very soon! Please review!**

**And go vote on my poll!**


	6. Twirl For Me

**Chapter 6! I swear, even I got excited writing this XD I'm so silly! Enjoy!**

Kendall woke up, showered and dressed and went down to breakfast. He was nervous about the interviews. He didn't want to look stupid in front of everyone. But he trusted Gustavo and Kelly would help them. Because that's what they were there for. He sat down at the breakfast table, greeted with smiles from everyone there. "So what's the plan for today?" he asked.

"Well, we'll be finishing breakfast at eight thirty," Kelly chirped. "Then you'll be with me for the etiquette lesson until noon, when we'll have lunch! Then you'll be with Gustavo for content from one until five, and we'll have dinner! Then from six to eight, it's the prep team and the stylist's job to make you look gorgeous! Then the interviews will begin at eight-thirty tonight. So eat up, it's going to be—"

"A big, big day!" Gustavo interrupted, chuckling as he helped himself to more stew.

Kendall didn't see how what Kelly had to teach him could take over three hours, but it did. They went back to his room afterwards, where they started with walking. She made him stand up straight, shoulders back, held high until he was practically marching around the room.

After that they did sitting. Sitting up straight, head held high, shoulders back. Apparently he had a tendency to duck his head and look at the floor. Next they worked on waving and smiling. Smiling was all about smiling more and by the end of that lesson Kendall's cheeks ached.

"Are you sure all of this is necessary?" he asked.

"Yes, Kendall! Look, if you just think of yourself among friends—"

"Friends!" Kendall stared at her, scowling. "They're betting on how long I live, none of them are my friends!"

"Well, try and pretend!" Kelly snapped. Then she took a deep breath and gave him a wide smile. "See? I'm smiling even though I want to slap you right now."

That did it. Kendall burst into laughter, hand over his mouth to muffle his giggles. Kelly beamed at him. "There you go! Now come on, don't hide those adorable dimples of yours!"

Kendall took his hand down, grinning. "Ok. I see your point."

They walked to lunch together and sat down with Gustavo and Camille. They both seemed cheerful too, so Kendall assumed the content lesson would be better to sit through. He couldn't have been more wrong.

They went into the living room and sat on the couch. For a moment Gustavo just stared at him, frowning thoughtfully. "What is it?" Kendall asked slowly.

"I'm trying to think of an angle for you."

"An angle?"

"You know, how to present you to the audience. Will you be witty? Sexy? Shy? We already know you've got spirit. You jumped up in your brother's place. You're sweet. Marcos made you look spectacular." He paused. "Well, I know sexy isn't the angle I'm giving you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kendall snapped.

"Nothing at all, little dog. Now, let's get started."

Gustavo started to ask Kendall some questions, as if he were Deke himself. Kendall tried to answer them, but he was so pissed off at what Gustavo had said to him he could do nothing but spit answers at the bald man.

"Ok, this isn't working!" Gustavo sighed eventually. "Not only are you hostile and rude, but I know nothing about you!"

"I don't want you to!" Kendall snarled. "They've already taken my future from me, they don't need to know my past as well!"

"Then make something something up! Lie!" Gustavo yelled at him.

Kendall was taken aback. "I . . . I'm not good at lying," he stuttered.

"Well, you should practice it, because right now you've got about as much charm as a dead slug."

Kendall's eyes widened. Ok. That hurt.

Gustavo sighed. "Look, little dog. I said sexy wasn't an angle for you because it's not the person you are. You're too cute."

"I'm not cute!" Kendall replied indignantly.

"Yeah you are, blondie. Whether you like it or not. You can blame whichever parent gave you the dimples and the elfin body." He sighed. "Ok. Why don't you try acting humble? Like, you never imagined a sweet boy from District 12 could be here. Say how nice the people are. How wonderful the city is. Gush."

"Um, I guess I can try that."

But only a little while later, it became clear Kendall couldn't gush. So they tried more. He wasn't brutal, Gustavo thought he was too 'vulnerable' for that angle. He wasn't witty, or smart, or funny, or arrogant.

By the end of the session, he was nobody. Gustavo was already pretty drunk, and had been since they finished attempting the smart angle. "I give up, little dog," he slurred with a nasty tone. "Just answer the questions and try not to show how much you hate everyone."

* * *

><p>"I don't understand, Christian," James sighed. He didn't have much time; he was already late for dinner. But he wanted an answer as he stared down at the ring in his hand. It was a pretty ring, gold with a designer engraved over it and a large blue stone. "Why do you want to give this to her? Is it going to help her win?"<p>

Christian shrugged. He slowly wrote down on the paper he'd fetched, before showing James.

She'll know what to do.

"Is it true? Is she really a rebel?" James asked. "Mercedes Griffin, she's a Career! It just doesn't make sense!"

Christian shrugged again, before writing, I don't know much. Following orders.

"When am I supposed to give this to her?" James sighed. "Maybe after the interviews . . . yes, that'd work. If I get in the same elector as her I should be able to give it to her subtlety. Hopefully."

Christian smiled at him, and James smiled back.

But as the Avox left the room silently, he worried. Was he about to help a Career win the Games? Or was this a plan to make sure she didn't win? But if it was, surely she wouldn't know about it. Maybe she'd been lied to?

So many questions, and no answers.

_May the odds be ever in my favour_, James thought grimly as his fingers closed around the ring. _I'm gonna need it._

* * *

><p>After dinner Kendall's prep team appeared. "Hello, sweetheart!" Sandy squealed as they hurried him down the hall and into the bathroom. They started with showering him off, scrubbing him all over with soap that had him smelling like lilies even after they rinsed it off. They popped some black liner on his eyes again, but left the rest of him as he was, standing in his underwear. He stood there, completely comfortable around them now, even though he was 95% naked. Marcos arrive a few minutes later, carrying Kendall's clothes. He couldn't see them, because they were covered.<p>

Marcos slid the cover off the outfit and the prep team handed Kendall the black pants and shirt. The pants were tight as he pulled them up over his thighs, but they were comfortable. He buttoned the black shirt up quickly, and Marcos walked up to him holding the jacket. "Arms out?"

Kendall did as he asked and Marcos slipped the jacket on, buttoning up the first two buttons and leaving the rest open. Then after a moment he unbuttoned another button on Kendall's shirt. "There, perfect."

Kendall glanced in the mirror. He grinned. The Kendall standing in the mirror looked tall and confident, even as he stood there in his bare feet. The jacket shimmered strangely, barely noticeable unless he moved. But when he moved, his clothes gave the illusion he was engulfed in flames, flickering brightly. He looked incredible. Memorable.

The boy on fire.

"Thank you," Kendall said softly, grinning at Marcos.

Marcos grinned back. "Twirl for me."

He did, and the prep team squealed in adoration. "So, are you all set for the interview?" Marcos asked as the prep team gathered their equipment and left the room. Kendall could tell by the sound of his voice that he'd been talking to Gustavo.

"No," he sighed as he out on the socks and black shoes the stylist gave him. "It's awful, Marcos. I'm nobody! Gustavo called me a dead slug. I'm just . . . I'm not good at being one of those people he wants me to be."

Marcos frowned thoughtfully. "Why don't you just be yourself?"

Kendall just stared at him.

Marcos smiled. "You have spirit, Kendall. And you're kind. I can see it in you." He paused. "Let's say you were talking to someone you don't mind telling your past to. Who's your best friend back home?"

"Carlos," Kendall replied immediately. "Or Logan. But they know all that stuff already."

"Hmm. Ok, how about this." Marcos put his hands on Kendall's shoulders, staring him in the eyes. "Let's say, when you're answering the questions, you look right at me. I'll be at the front with the stylists, you can look right at me. Be honest, and be yourself."

"Even if what I think is horrible?"

"Especially then. You'll try it?"

Kendall nodded. It was something to go on.

Marcos took Kendall's arm gently and led him towards the door of the room. As they walked out into the hallway, Kendall froze, suddenly overcome with stage fright. "Marcos . . ."

"They'll love you," Marcos reassured him. "Just be yourself."

They walked down to the elevator, meeting Camille, Rebecca, Kelly and Gustavo there. Camille looked stunning in a knee-length dress made of flowing red-orange fabric, covered with little gems. They went down to the lobby, where the other tributes were waiting by the door, district by district. Kendall and Camille were left there, while the adults walked off towards another door. After a minute or two, the door opened and they all walked out onto the stage. They all sat down in a semi-circle on the stage. Two chairs were up at the front. The city circle was crowded with people, cameras everywhere, Gamemakers and other high class on surrounding balconies. Kendall sat down shakily, sitting up straight like Kelly told him. Oh God, he wished he could be first and get it over with! But he was last.

Deke Flickerman bounced on stage, waving at the audience. He was much shorter than Kendall expected, wearing his sparkly suit. Every year his hair was a different colour, and he wore a suit to match it. This year it was powdery blue. He sat down, warming the audience up with a few jokes before the interviews started.

"Ok, now let's begin! She's a sexy blonde from the District of luxury, here's Mercedes Griffin!"

Mercedes bounced up to him, waving and grinning at the screaming audience. She sat down in the chair, beaming in her silky blue dress. Each interview lasted three minutes, and a buzzer would go off at the end. Deke did brilliantly with the tributes, making jokes to help them feel better, helping the nervous ones along, and using his reactions to make a response way more interesting than it actually was. Everyone had an angle. Wayne was all brutal. Barnett was mellow, but tough. Jennifer (from 6) was elusive. Jenny was sweet and bubbly.

Kendall couldn't help paying attention when it was James's turn. The brunette looked very handsome as he sat down with Deke, smiling confidently. That was his angle. Confident. Not quite arrogant. Deke asked him a little about his home in District 11, and his family. But the most interesting part was at the end.

"Now, James. A handsome lad like you, in a District full of pretty girls! You got a girlfriend back home?"

James's cheeks darkened as he shook his head.

"No one?" Deke persisted in disbelief. "Not even a crush? Come on, now! We're dying to know!"

The audience was silent as James paused. "Well . . . there is this one . . . this one person."

"Ah, a _person_!" The emphasis made the audience chuckle. "I see you won't give us any hints on who they are!"

"Thing is, they didn't even know I existed until all of this happened."

"Ah, I see." The audience saw too, sighing as if in actual pain. Unrequited love. Something they could all sink their manicured claws into. "This person," Deke began. "They have another fellow?"

"I don't know. I don't know much about them, really."

Well, I suppose if you win, they'll be mighty impressed with you!"

"Well, um . . ." James's cheeks were scarlet. "I don't know them from home. I met them here, at the Capitol. In the Training Centre. So that would be no good."

Kendall's eyes widened at those words.

"Oh." Deke sighed, and the audience sighed with him. Any idiot knew he was talking about another tribute. Poor thing. "That's rotten luck." In an attempt to liven the situation, he added, "Fighting with tributes is forbidden, you know!"

James gave a weak chuckle. "Well, we didn't fight. I've spoken to them once or twice in a group of people. But there was one time we were alone . . . they're such an incredible person. It's love at first sight, I guess."

Kendall glanced to his right, where Camille was sitting and looking just as shocked as he was. Well, it all fit. They'd been speaking to Camille, during training. And if he had talked to Camille alone, well . . . she seemed the most likely option at least.

Kendall knew that if he was on camera, a hurt expression would've appeared on his face for a moment or two, before he hid it away again. Fine. That was the way it was. It was better off like this anyway. Lover boy could kiss his ass for all he cared.

Then suddenly, James's interview had ended and he was sitting back down, cheeks still red. Kendall didn't look at him. Then they were calling Camille Roberts, and Kendall's heart sank when he realised he was next.

"Now, Camille! Let's start with your dress for the Tribute Parade! It was remarkable, was it not?"

"Oh, it totally was!" It was easy to see Camille's angle; loud, friendly, funny. Just the way she was. "I couldn't believe the stylists actually pulled that off, it was fantastic!" She gave a light giggle that had the audience giggling with her. "The funny thing is, while there were both of us, nobody seems to remember that I was on fire too."

Everyone laughed, Deke included. "Well, I'm sure they do, don't you?" he asked the audience, who roared back at him.

"So, if we move our discussion on to the Games . . ."

Kendall felt guilty for zoning out, but he was thinking about what James had said.

Well, Camille was appealing, so he couldn't blame James at all. She was pretty, and funny, and smart and kind. She was perfect, in a way. And she was an underdog of sorts, like him. They had stuff in common. They were good together. Not that it mattered, considering they would both probably die.

Honestly, Kendall wanted to hate them and say there was nothing stopping him from killing them for survival now. But he wasn't like that, and he couldn't hate them. It wasn't James's fault in any way. And truthfully, maybe it was better like this. There was no way James would ever fall for a raggedy boy from 12 with a messed up family, so maybe they were better off as rivals than . . . star-crossed lovers. Was that what James and Camille were? Maybe Camille didn't know. There was no way James would tell her, anyway. He was too shy about the subject—

"And now last but certainly not least," Deke began. "We have, as named by his fellow Twelve tribute, the boy on fire, Kendall Knight!"

_Oh shit, that's me. I'm Kendall Knight._

Kendall stood up shakily and walked up to Deke. He shook his hand, and was thankful that the smaller man didn't immediately wipe his hand off his suit as they sat down.

"So, Kendall," Deke started. "The Capitol must be quite a change from District Twelve. What's impressed you most since you arrived here?"

What? Kendall stared blankly at him, eyes wide as he stared out at the audience. He could see Marcos smiling at him, but his presence did him no good.

"Huh?" Kendall managed to get out.

Deke chuckled, glancing at the audience. "I think someone's a little nervous." He turned back to Kendall. "What's impressed you most since you got here?"

Oh. Kendall glanced at Marcos. Pictured him asking it. Ok, be honest . . . "Um, the food is pretty good."

Deke laughed again, and the audience were joining in. "Oh yes? What's your favourite?"

Kendall gave a nervous giggle. "I love hot chocolate. I never got it before I came here."

"Ah, of course! Oh, I would drink it by the bucketful!"

Kendall smiled. Deke was helping him along and he really appreciated it.

"Ok, now let's go to the parade. We were all blown away! How did you feel about it?"

Kendall grinned, looking out at the audience. At Marcos. "Well, first there was that fear of being burned to death." More laughter from the audience. "But I think the costume was amazing. Marcos is a fantastic stylist, and I couldn't believe I was wearing it. And he pulled off another masterpiece tonight."

Then he saw Marcos making a motion with his finger, mouthing something at him. _Twirl for me._

Kendall stood up, turning to Deke, "Check this out." He spun around, just once, hearing the audience cry out in awe as they saw him engulfed in flames.

"Wow!" Deke praised, clapping as Kendall sat down. "That's really something!"

"I'm very lucky," Kendall agreed.

"Alright, now tell us about that training score! ELEVEN. Tell us what happened there!"

Kendall smiled, looking up at the balcony where the Gamemakers sat. "Well, I'm not sure I should be talking about that."

"He shouldn't be!" a Gamemaker yelled back. Kendall recognised him as the one who fell in the punch bowl.

Kendall shrugged, glancing back at Deke. "Sorry. All I can say is, I think it was a first where I'm from."

"I'm sure it was." Deke paused, the audience going completely silent. His tone quietened down considerably. "Now let's go back to the reaping. I swear, you could've heard a pin drop in my living room. You volunteered for your brother. Tell me about him?"

You could've heard a pin drop in the city circle now. Kendall took a deep breath, looking out at Marcos again. "His name is Logan. He's eighteen, it was his last reaping. I, I love him more than anything."

The words he'd spoken to James.

Deke nodded. "And that's why you offered to take his place."

"Well, I couldn't let him come here. Not with his injury. He wouldn't last five minutes." Kendall gave a small smile. "Not unless he waved people off with his cane . . . our family needs him more than they need me, anyway. He's like the man of the house, I guess."

Deke smiled back. "Now, what did he say to you after the reaping? Considering you're his little brother, I doubt he took it well."

"He didn't. But, I told him I'd really try to win for him. To make him proud of me."

"I'm sure you will," Deke replied encouragingly. "And I'm sure he's already very proud of you. Now, just one more question! You are the youngest tribute here, aside from little Tyler and Zwagger, and you're certainly a small one. What do you think your chances are?"

Kendall paused, as he thought it over. What were his chances? He looked up again at the audience. "Honestly, I have no idea. I guess there's only one way to find out."

Then the buzzer went off, and Kendall went back to his seat, the applause ringing out behind him.

* * *

><p>When they all filed off the stage a few minutes later, James walked towards the elevators in silence. He could feel the weight of the ring in his pocket, and made a beeline for an elevator cart with Mercedes in it. He just about made it, and subtlety stood next to her. She didn't glance at him, until he took out the ring, moving his hand over to hers and pressing it against her palm. She glanced down sharply, then her fingers grasped it and she moved away from him immediately. James sighed in relief. Well, that was done. He could feel her eyes on him the whole elevator ride, but didn't care anymore.<p>

Kendall glanced over and Mercedes and James. He didn't know what was going on there's but didn't care all that much. Of course, there was the possibility of the blonde girl being James's 'love at first sight', but he highly doubted it. Mercedes left first, and then there were five of them left; himself, James, Wayne, Jo and one of the Jennifers. The curly-haired one.

The elevator had them standing close together, and thankfully Wayne was the next to get off, and Kendall had more room to breathe. Then as he was leaving, he turned around and spun his forefinger around once, staring right at Kendall. "Twirl for me," he ordered in a low voice.

Kendall stared at him, eyes wide as he stepped back towards the elevator wall. James was glaring at Wayne, as was Jo. Jennifer didn't seem to know where to look. Wayne chuckled, before leaving the elevator and letting the doors slide shut after him.

The elevator fell back into silence. Then Jennifer left at the seventh floor, then Jo at the tenth. Then it was James's turn. He smiled at Kendall and waved before leaving. Kendall didn't want to respond, but did anyway, smiling sweetly back at him. Then the twelfth floor came and Kendall walked out into the hallway. Kelly, Gustavo, Camille and the stylists were already there. They walked into the living room to sit down and watch the recap of the interviews. It took forever to get to District 12, though Kendall had the opportunity of listening to the interviews he'd missed while he was panicking. Camille did wonderfully, but Kendall felt like he just looked dumb. Kelly assured him he was sweet and charming, just the angle she felt was right for him. Gustavo only grunted.

When it finished, it was time to say goodbye to Gustavo and Kelly. The stylists would be the ones to go with them to the arena. Once Gustavo and Kelly left here, they would hopefully be at the Games Headquarters, signing up their sponsors and planning or a complex strategy of when to send them gifts. Kelly gave them both a very brief hug, tears in her eyes. "Thank you both, for being the best tributes it's ever been my pleasure to guide. Who knows, I might even be promoted to a decent District next year!" She tottered off in her high heels.

Gustavo crossed his arms and frowned at both of them. "Any last words of advice?" Camille asked.

"When the gong sounds, get the hell out of there. You're not up for the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Neither of you."

"Anything else?" Kendall replied.

"Stay alive," Gustavo replied firmly. The same thing he said to them on the train, only now he wasn't drunk. Kendall and Camille just nodded. What else was there to say?

When Kendall went to bed, he realised only a few seconds after lying down that he would never get to sleep. He lay there for one, then two, then three hours, and still his mind refused to let him sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about what terrain they might be thrown into. Frozen tundra? Desert? Rainforest? He prayed for trees, both for the familiarity and for the shelter they would offer him. There were normally trees in the arena, because a barren wasteland was too dull, and the Games always ended too quickly. Then there was the matter of the climate they would have. And the traps the Gamemakers would set. And of course, the other tributes . . .

Soon enough he couldn't even lie in bed. He began pacing the room, heart pounding. He needed air. He had to get out of this stuffy room or he knew he would start throwing things around. He walked quietly towards the door, opening it. The hallway was silent, and he crept along up the stairs, towards the door that led to the roof. The roof was dark, but even so, Kendall saw the silhouette standing at the railing, black against the twinkling lights of the city. He could hear cheering, singing, screaming, music. His bare feet moved silently across the floor towards him, but he didn't speak until they were next to each other, standing by the railing. "You should be sleeping," he said softly.

James shrugged, looking down at the streets. "I didn't want to miss the party. It's for us, after all. Just listen to them."

Kendall did. He felt sick. "So excited to watch us all die."

James nodded with a sigh. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I couldn't turn my mind off," Kendall sighed. "I can't stop thinking about tomorrow, about what will happen."

"I know what you mean." James bit his lip. "I don't want to die. So, when the time comes, I'm sure I'll kill just like everyone else. But . . . I just wish I had a way to show that they don't own me."

"What do you mean?" Kendall asked, confused.

James turned to look at him with those hazel cat-like eyes. "If I'm gonna die, I wanna be the same person I was before. I don't want them to twist me into someone I'm not. Show them there's a part of me they'll never have, you know?"

Kendall nodded. "Yeah, I get it." He paused. "I just . . . I dunno if I can afford to think like that."

"I understand."

There was a pause. Then Kendall sighed. "I guess we'd be better off getting some sleep, wouldn't we? Every second we give in to it in the arena will only be more dangerous for us."

"You're probably right."

By some silent agreement, they both walked down the stairs together, and said goodbye at the elevator. "Goodnight," James said with a gentle smile as he pushed the button and the doors slid open.

"Goodnight," Kendall smiled back, turning and walking down the hallway. Before he went into his room, he glanced back just in time to see the elevator doors close.

"And may the odds be ever in your favour," he added in a whisper.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Mrs Knight!" Carlos called, walking into the little home. "I'm here to see Logan. Is he here?"<p>

"No," Mrs Knight replied. She looked confused. "He told me he was going to see you. Maybe you left before he got there?"

"Yeah, maybe." Carlos gave a little smile to Katie, who seemed to absorbed in her own thoughts to smile back. "I'll just go home, then."

"Alright. We'll see you soon!"

Carlos hurried out and back onto the road, heart hammering in his chest. He wasn't naive, or stupid. He would've met Logan on the way if the older boy had been walking to his house. So the question was, where was Logan?

Carlos stopped for a second, thinking hard. He might be in the town, maybe the square. Or the Hob. But none of these options seemed very likely. Normally when Logan was upset, he would shut up in his room, locking out the world. But obviously he wasn't there now. So where was he?

The answer came to him when he thought of the most likely reason for Logan's disappearance. Kendall. And when he thought of Kendall, he thought of the woods.

The woods.

Carlos hadn't taken him there yet, like they'd arranged the night before. Logan must have gone in by himself. And that was dangerous. Not only was he alone and not used to the dangers after so many years of staying away, but he was injured and unable to defend himself. All he had was a cane, for crying out loud! What good would that do him?

"Logan Knight," Carlos hissed as he stormed off in be direction of the Meadow. "You better be alive when I find you, because when I do you're dead meat!"

He slipped under the gap in the fence in an instant, jogging into the forest. He pulled his knife out of his belt, looking around cautiously. "Logan!" he called. Logan, where are you?"

There was only the sounds of the forest around him. He heard an owl hooting, some rustling in the bushes. It would be completely dark soon enough. "Logan!" he yelled. "Logan, this isn't funny!"

More silence. He gritted his teeth. Ok, change of tactics. "You know Kendall would be worrying about you right now! What do you think he'll do if—"

"Shut up!"

Carlos spun around. Logan was straightening up, trying to use a tree branch as leverage. Carlos hurried over and helped him up, only to he shoved away. "Leave me alone!" Logan shouted, tears in his eyes. "Who the hell are you to say what he would or wouldn't do! You're not his brother! I am!"

"I know that, Logan! But believe it or not, I know him just as well as you do!" Carlos bit his lip. "Anyway, we both know that's not why you're angry! That's not why you're out here. And where the hell is your cane?"

The last sentence seemed to catch Logan off guard. He looked away. "I-I forgot about it," he whispered, sitting down on he rock he'd been squatting on. "I just ran, well . . . I limped. I had to get away."

Ah. Now Carlos understood. He sat down next to Logan. "I watched the interview too. I heard what he said about you."

"It's not even about that. Just, seeing them all there, for the interviews . . . it's all getting so much more real." Logan looked at Carlos for a moment, his eyes full of tears. "I can't bear it. It's going to be a nightmare. Tomorrow and every day that follows until . . . until . . ." He trailed off, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Well, I can assure you it'll be no picnic for anyone," Carlos replied softly, wrapping an arm around Logan's shoulders. "Especially Kendall."

"I know, I'm being so selfish, but I just can't help it! I wish tomorrow would never come. Even if time freezes and he's stuck in the Capitol forever . . . at least he'd be safe."

"Look, let's just hope that he goes on for as long as he can. And that if he dies, it's quick. Painless. Like when you sing him to sleep after a nightmare."

Logan nodded, though he looked surprised. "You know about that?"

"Of course. You have no idea how much he talks about you. You're the reason for everything he does, everything he is. You and your father. I guess you could say he is you, in a smaller, blonder form. He has healer's hands, like you."

"He's a hunter, not a healer. That might be where we differ the most." But Logan looked pleased at the compliment. "I miss him. I miss them both."

"I miss him too." Carlos didn't know what else to say.

Logan didn't either. So they just looked at each other in silence.

Then Carlos kissed him.

Damn, he couldn't help himself. Logan's hand immediately tangled in his hair, bringing him closer. Of course, this wasn't Carlos's first time kissing a member of the Knight family like this. But somehow it didn't feel the same. It felt more real. More emotional.

Maybe because both their hearts were breaking together. Who would've thought that could ever bring them happiness.

Carlos pulled back at last, breathing hard. "Sorry about that," he said quietly, blushing.

"Don't be sorry," Logan replied with a grin, kissing his cheek. "It was perfect."

* * *

><p>Kendall woke up early the next morning. The Games didn't actually start until ten because so many Capitol residents got up late. But he knew he had to make an early start, because there was no way of knowing how far they would travel to the arena. Then he realised he'd been woken up, because Marcos was standing above him. "Get up, Kendall," he said softly. "I have clothes for you to wear." Marcos dressed him in a simple shirt and pants, before taking him by the arm and gently leading him up to the roof.<p>

The hovercraft appeared out of nowhere, and as soon as Kendall stepped onto the dangling ladder, he froze all over, completely stuck to it as it carried him up. As soon as he was lifted inside, a Capitol worked in a white coat came trotting over to him with a needle. "Just a moment, Kendall. I need to fit in your tracker."

Kendall held his breath as she inserted the needle into the inside skin of his forearm. There was a little lump left there that he stared at. His tracker. Wouldn't want to lose a tribute. Marcos was lifted up a moment later, and they went off together into another room. Breakfast was laid out on the table in front of them, two seats on either side of the table. They sat down, Kendall's legs practically giving out underneath him. "I know you probably don't feel up to it," Marcos said gently. "But try to eat as much as you can. You'll need it."

Kendall nodded, filling his plate immediately. He knew he would be hungry in the arena. So he ate rolls and ham and cheese and eggs, drinking a large cup of tea afterwards. "Marcos . . . what if I die at the bloodbath?"

Marcos seemed surprised by the question. "Gustavo advised you to stay away from there."

"I-I know, but . . ." Kendall trailed off, and Marcos seemed to know what he was thinking.

Marcos gave a small smile. "What's going to happen will happen. If you follow your gut, I guarantee you'll get out of there."

"Truly?" Kendall checked, voice dying out into a whisper.

"Truly."

The windows blacked out after half an hour, which meant they were nearing the arena. Then the Captiol woman in the white coat showed up, directing them to the exit. They were stuck to the ladder again, and lowered directly into the catacombs under the arena. They didn't get the chance to see a thing. Marcos took a covered outfit in a bag from a Capitol official, who led them down to the changing room. Kendall would be the first and only tribute to ever use this room. The arenas were always preserved after every Hunger Games. Capitol citizens could visit them, go on tours around the catacombs, visit the scene of every death. Apparently, they could even take part in re-enactments.

Kendall felt like he was going to be sick.

In just an hour, he could be dead. Never to speak again, or see again, or breathe again. Never to see his family or friends again. Ever. The thought made his stomach turn.

"It's time to get you dressed," Marcos said, leading him across the room towards a shower stall by a couch and a clothes rail. "Shower first, and I'll get your clothes ready."

Kendall did as he asked, barely standing under the hot water for two minutes before grabbing a towel and drying himself off. Marcos wrapped him in a towel and sat him down, drying his hair off and combing it through. Then he stood Kendall up and handed him his underwear. Kendall pulled it on, and Marcos gave him his outfit for the arena; tan brown trousers, skin tight socks, a pale green shirt, a brown leather belt. Then when all these were on, he pulled on the black jacket that fell in rainproof material down to his thighs. "The jacket"s designed to reflect body heat," Marcos told him. "There'll be come cold nights out there."

The boots were perfect for Kendall; like the hunting boots he wore at home, complete with soles that were perfect for running. "Twirl for me," Marcos requested, and Kendall slowly spun around as he asked. The frightened part of his mind (which was most of it right now) thought of Wayne, and he couldn't help shivering. Marcos had him stretch, walk around, run in a circle to check everything fit him comfortably. Then they sat down on the couch, Kendall weakly sipping a glass of water. He couldn't handle eating any more.

Then a buzzer went off, Kendall's head snapping up towards the ceiling. "It's time for you to go," Marcos said sadly, taking his drink and putting it down. He led Kendall over to the centre of the room, where a round metal plate stood. "Oh, hold on," Marcos said quickly, reaching into his pocket. In his hand he held the mockingjay pin. Kendall had completely forgotten it.

"You left this in your room," Marcos smiled, pinning it to Kendall's shirt. "At first the inspectors were sure it could be turned into a weapon, but it cleared the board, as did most of the other tokens."

"Marcos, I'm so scared," Kendall choked out, unable to say anything else.

"I know," Marcos replied gently, pulling Kendall in for a hug. "Now, I'll tell you something. I'm not allowed to bet, but if I was, you'd be sure I would bet my money on you."

"Thank you," Kendall whispered.

Marcos smiled, pulling back and pressing a kiss to Kendall's forehead before letting him step back on the metal plate. Above him, the ceiling opened to reveal a circle of white light above his head. A glass cylinder began closing down over him. "Good luck, boy on fire," were Marcos's last words before the cylinder closed over the plate. The metal plate began to rise. Kendall's eyes widened and his hands found the glass, pressing up against it as he looked out. Marcos just gave an encouraging nod before he vanished from view.

For a second or two Kendall was in darkness, and then he rose up into the arena. For a moment all he could see was bright light, as Claudius Templesmith's voice echoed over the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, let the seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin!"

Kendall looked around. The twenty four tributes stood on their metal plates in a semi-circle. They were to wait sixty seconds before the Games began. If anyone stepped off their plate before then, the mines would blow their legs off. The Cornucopia stood in the middle of the grassy plain, supplies and weapons spilling out of it. Other items stood scattered away from it, much less valuable ones. Only a little away from Kendall was a small plastic sheet. Behind the Cornucopia he saw a lake, and to his right, a dense forest, thank goodness. Then to his left, nothing. Maybe a steep drop? A cliff?

He looked back at the Cornucopia. Then his eyes widened. Among the weapons, he saw a bow and a sheath of arrows.

_Ten . . ._

They were made for him, they had to be. He had to get them.

_Nine . . ._

Kendall bit his lip. He was a fast runner. Maybe not long distance, but this sprint was what he was made for.

_Eight . . ._

Maybe if Gustavo had seen him run before, he would have told him to go for it, to get the weapon.

_Seven . . ._

He didn't see any other bow there. He had to defend himself, didn't he?

_Six . . ._

Maybe if he ran, if he really sprinted, he could get the bow and make a break for the woods.

_Five . . ._

He glanced towards the trees. He could make it, couldn't he?

_Four . . ._

Then something caught his eye. Camille watching him, three plates to his right.

_Three . . ._

She seemed to know what he was thinking.

_Two . . ._

And she nodded. She agreed.

_One . . ._

_"Follow your gut, Kendall."_

Then the gong rang out, and the Games began.

**Ok, don't worry about the Cargan, it will be elaborated! OK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT A/N. I could've put it at the start of the next chapter but I won't, I think it's better not to. So in the movie, they showed flashes of the Gamemakers playing with the arena and I want to use that. So I'm gonna have stuff like the Gamemakers watching and people reacting and stuff in italics through the following chapters, only a few though. It depends. But there won't be line breaks between them, it'll just go into italics and then you'll know.**

**You probably all hate me for this cliffhanger. But it was worth it! XD REVIEW!**


	7. Opening Day

**Ok, new chapter! I wasn't gonna have an A/N at the start but now I have to. I got a review from 'Critics United' telling me this story should be moved to the crossover section, because people wouldn't understand it etc etc. People not understanding it isn't the issue, and the only crossovers I've ever read are stories containing characters from both fandoms, not simply one story based on the plot of something else, but whatever. They also subscribed to me, indicating they're probably watching like hawks for my update, to see if I did move it or not. Obviously I can't have an author's note on its own because that's not allowed either, so I had to put it at the start of a new chapter. Not everyone who reads this is subscribed to this so they won't know when to read it if it's not on the new pages anymore. So, if the critic was simply making their point and isn't gonna come back, then it'll stay as it is. But if they come and bother me again this update, then I'll move it. And if they're gonna report me for not doing it straight away and updating it again first, then I honestly don't care. All I wanted to let you guys know and if I get reported for it, then fine. If that should happen and my account gets suspended, you can find all my stories on the link on my profile!**

**Ok. I'm done! :)**

Leaping off the plate and reaching down to grab the sheet of plastic took only a second. Then Kendall was running, feet pounding off the grass as he got closer to the Cornucopia. Gustavo's warning echoed through his mind, and for a second he wondered if he was making the right choice. He could easily swerve now and take of into the trees. But he kept going. And as he got closer and he got within reach of some supplies, he decided that whether or not he survived this, he'd followed his instincts. Something he would never ignore.

Kendall bent down and grabbed a small orange backpack, and was about to keep running when he felt a hand grab it tightly. He turned and saw Tad from District 7, holding it tightly and gritting his teeth. Kendall yanked it back, but Tad was bigger and was pulling him in with strong arms. Kendall was just thinking he'd regretted his decision when Tad coughed blood all over his face.

Kendall recoiled, wiping the sticky substance off his cheek while grasping the backpack with the other, as Tad fell limp at his feet. A knife in his back. Mercedes was standing a few feet away, already holding a few very impressive looking knives. But she made no move to throw one. She just stared at him. Then ran off towards the horn again, as if he didn't exist at all.

Kendall decided to follow her, sprinting the last few feet to where the bow and arrows lay. He grabbed them immediately, then without waiting, took off in the direction of the woods. Suddenly a knife whistled past his ear, just barely missing. He looked over his shoulder, expecting to see Mercedes coming back for him. But it was Lucy, snarling and already getting ready to throw another. That miss was definitely a one time thing.

Kendall pushed his legs to go faster, pulling his backpack up to protect his head when he heard the whistle of another knife flying towards him. It lodged in the backpack as he sprinted into the trees, breath coming in shallow gasps as he pulled the backpack over his shoulder, the quiver of arrows following. He knew Lucy probably wouldn't follow him; she'd prefer to stay at the Cornucopia before all the good stuff was gone.

He stopped for a second, turning around to survey the scene. Tributes stood at the Cornucopia, fighting determinedly, the clang of metal echoing against his ears, with weak screams of pain. A few tributes already lay dead on the ground, while others were taking off either into the trees or into the void across from it. Kendall turned and ran into the woods, going deeper and deeper until he couldn't see the Cornucopia anymore. Once his view was blocked, he slowed down into a steady jog, reaching back and removing the knife from the backpack. He grinned. _Thanks for the knife, Lucy_. He tucked it carefully into his belt.

For the next couple of hours, he kept going back and forth from jogging to walking, distancing himself from the plain as much as he could. He felt himself moving downwards, into a valley. He hated valleys; they made him feel trapped. Being higher up was something he'd always preferred. But he kept going. When he heard a rustling in the bushes and a rabbit emerged, he smiled to himself. Plenty of game to hunt, anyway. He wouldn't go hungry. It felt good to be alone in the woods again, though he wondered if he was on camera right now. Probably, but not much. The Gamemakers would be focusing on the bloodbath today, showing all the fighting going on. But there would probably be the occasional shot of him, just to show he was armed, uninjured and on the move.

It must have been late afternoon when the cannons began to go off, each shot signifying a dead tribute. Kendall stopped, panting. He could allow himself a rest as he listened to the cannons. He slumped down on the ground, counting them in his head. Five, six, seven. Seven dead. Less than usual. The fighting had finally stopped, which meant the tributes who fought it out had the best weapons and suplies, and would probably be eager to resume their hunting once the sun set. Kendall pulled everything off his back, leaning against a tree with a sigh. He pulled his backpack onto his lap—the colour was very unfortunate, he would have to camoflauge it as soon as he could—and opened it up, taking out each item one by one and laying them out. A thin black sleeping bag that reflected body heat. Excellent. A packet of crackers and dried beef strips. A bottle of iodine. Some wire. Matches. Some sunglasses, oddly. And a two-litre plastic container for carrying water. Bone dry.

Kendall groaned, only now realising how thirsty he was. But he wasn't particularly tired; he'd eaten so much he had good staying power, even if he needed sleep. Water was the next thing on his list. And if that little rabbit from before had a place to drink, it was Kendall's job to find it. He would only last a few days without it. He checked his weapons next, smiling as he held the bow in his hands. It was more similar to the bows in the Training Centre than to his bow from home, but he would manage. And the quiver containing a dozen arrows was good too. Kendall stood up, deciding that before he moved on he would set up some snares. He didn't want to go hunt right now; he wanted to keep moving forward. He could come back and check the snares in the morning. As he went on his way again, he used his knife to cut some bark off pine tree, before cutting off some of the inner bark and eating it as he walked. It was hard to stomach after those days of such fine food, but he would adjust quickly. He was no stranger to eating pine.

As he walked, Kendall began to think about the dead tributes. His hand moved up and scratched against the dried blood on his face, which was starting to itch a little. Well, Tad was dead, surely. And he wondered who else. What if Camille was dead too? Or James, or Heather? He didn't want to think that affected him, but it really did. Still, maybe if they were it would save him having to kill any of them later on. It was better this way. But as he thought of Tad again and their struggle for the orange backpack, another thought came into his mind. Why didn't Mercedes kill him? She was a Career, first of all, so there was no reason for compassion to have gotten in the way. He was just another tribute for her to stab with those knives. So why did she just stare at him? Maybe she wanted to get to the Cornucopia and saw killing him as a waste of time? Maybe she thought that spending time to kill a smaller tribute, despite the eleven in training, would give her less opportunity to take out the bigger and stronger ones?

That made sense. Anyway, he wasn't complaining in any way.

As he walked for another hour, he decided he should find a tree to sleep in. The sun was starting to set, and he needed to get some rest. He'd worry about water and food tomorrow. And as for Camille, James and Heather, he would know if they survived when the dead tributes' images projected in the sky that night for everyone to see.

He soon found the tree he wanted; a willow, with good branches for climbing. He scaled the tree in a moment or two, choosing a fork high up and concealed mostly by leaves to make his bed. He took out the sleeping bag and unfolded it, sliding the backpack and his bow and arrows into the bottom of it. He zipped p his jacket and pulled his hood up, before sliding into the bag. He took off his belt and wound it around the bag and the branch, tying himself in the tree so that if he rolled over he wouldn't crash down to the ground. Kendall rolled onto his side, listening to the sounds of the woods as night came closer. He could hear some howling, some snuffling in the bushes. He wondered what kind of animals were out here, and whether or not they would consider him a tasty meal.

Just then the anthem started to play, and the Capitol seal lit up in the sky. Kendall looked up through the branches, watching carefully. The first headshot to appear was the face of Peggy, the girl from District 4. Which surprised him; the Careers nearly always made it through the first day. Next was Zwagger of District 6, Tad, Rachael from 8, Jonathon from 9 (Tyler must've made it, then) and both tributes from District 10, Jenny and Eric. Well, that wasn't surprising. Jenny was known for being really clumsy in training. Poor girl.

Seven dead. Sixteen opponents left. Kendall lay there, counting on his fingers to see who was left. Seven Careers. Camille, James and Heather. The Jennifers. Tyler, Barnett . . . he couldn't remember the last one. He sighed, trusting he might remember in the morning. Now was the time for rest. He was so glad he'd gone for the supplies, because this sleeping bag was keeping him warm and comfortable, which a lot of tributes probably wouldn't have. He shut his eyes, hoping sleep would come to him quickly. It was a good thing he didn't snore.

_Logan watched the Careers darting through the forest, deadly weapons at the ready. "Carlos, what if they find him?"_

_"They won't," Carlos reassured the boy talked safely under his arm. "He's safe up in the tree. In a dark sleeping bag."_

_"But when dawn comes that'll be really noticeable!"_

_"They'll probably be gone by then, Logan," Carlos said reasonably. His eyes widened as he looked at the screen. "Oh. Hmm. That's a dumb thing to do."_

_"Give her a break, she's probably freezing cold and—" Logan stopped, frowning. "Oh my God, that idiot girl! Look how close she is to Kendall's tree!"_

Kendall woke up to the sound of a scream, and the cannon going off a second later.

Kendall's eyes opened quickly at the sound. Something, or someone, was now crashing through the trees. No, it was a person. Several of them; he could hear them talking in loud voices. Above him, a hovercraft materialised and a claw dropped down, picking up some poor dead tribute and taking them away.

"You got her good, Ozzy!" came a laughing voice. A girl's voice. Lucy Stone.

Shit. Careers.

_"Shit, Careers!"_

_"Logan, shush!" Carlos scolded. "I wanna hear what they're saying!"_

"Did you see her face?" another added, a boy this time. He mimicked in a high-pitched voice, "No, please don't kill me! Helllpp!"

It was Wayne. The seven Careers came striding through the trees, laughing loudly and very obnoxiously. They carried impressive weapons, along with flashlights and torches. Kendall stayed completely still, praying none of them would see him. For a second, he wondered who they'd killed. Was it Camille? Maybe. Oh God.

"Well, it's her own fault! Who the hell lights a fire on the first night of the Games, when it's pitch dark out! Sticks out like a sore thumb!"

Kendall almost fell out of the tree in his shock.

It was Heather.

The 'sweet farm girl' had joined the Career pack. Was she totally insane? The Careers were hated by every other District; they were obnoxious, mean, and brutal, not to mention the favouritism the Capitol showed towards them. Kendall could already hear the disapproving voices in District 11, tutting over this treacherous, untrustworthy girl. Well, Kendall would have no problem killing her now. He wondered what James would think if he knew. Then he wondered why he cared.

That was when Heather looked right up at him.

Her blue eyes locked on his for a second or two. Kendall was waiting for it, waiting for her to point him out to the other Careers, so they could all giggle to themselves as they took him out. Or maybe for her to throw up that deadly looking sickle she held in her hand—and she probably had plenty of experience using that back home—and slicing his throat open. But instead, Heather looked back at the others who were still chuckling and congratulating one another, and said as if nothing had happened, "The sooner we find him, the better. He's a threat that needs to be dealt with."

"She's right," Stephanie sighed, and Kendall saw she had her own bow and arrows, though they weren't the same quality as his. "Eleven in training is something not to be looked over."

"I almost got him earlier!" Lucy cursed. "I swear, every time I think of him twirling in that dumb fire outfit I wanna throw up."

"I didn't mind that too much," Wayne chuckled, finger absentmindedly stroking the handle of his sword. "How do you think he got that eleven?"

"Who cares!" Ozzy snarled. "Let's just find him and cut his head off! The sooner the better!"

"Let's go this way!" Dak suggested, and they headed off past his tree, into the trees.

_"Oh thank God!" Mrs Knight sighed, flopping back in her chair. "That's such a relief."_

_"Why the heck did she light a fire?" Katie was wondering. "Stupid girl. One Jennifer down, two to go!"_

So, the Careers were after him because of his score, but everything else he'd shown openly disgusted them. Except Wayne, strangely. And Heather was part of their group. And to add to all that, in the space of a day there were two people with great reason to kill him, but had let him live.

But why?

**I felt like putting one or two reactions in towards the end, but I didn't really need them XD the next chapters will probably have more. Please review! :)**


	8. The Boy on Fire

**Chapter 8! For people who be wondering, Carlton Banks is that guy from Bel Air Rush XD Hope you like!**

Kendall didn't want to stay in the tree any longer. Slowly he urged himself to move, and unbuckled his belt, sliding out of the sleeping bag and gathering everything up before leaping out of the tree, landing easily. He packed away his sleeping bag and put his belt back on. He was just trying to decide which direction to take when he remembered the snares. Maybe checking them while the others could be so close was a dumb idea, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted meat. And maybe years of hunting just drew him back, no matter what the risk was.

On his way, Kendall came across the dying coals of a fire. It must've been the dead girl's. He walked past it quickly, not wanting to think much about the previous night. He headed back to the snares, and grinned when he was rewarded with one large, plump rabbit. He cut it down and sat under a tree, working on skinning the animal. When he was done, he left all the leftover pieces under some leaves.

He bit his lip. Damn, he would've loved a fire right now. Eating rabbit raw could lead to rabbit fever — an unpleasant lesson he'd learned the hard way.

Oh, wait. Kendall picked up the rabbit and hurried back to the dead tribute's fire. The coals were still hot. He set about cooking the rabbit, hoping the cameras were on him. He wanted sponsors to know that he could hunt, that he wouldn't be lured into traps as the others would because of hunger. While he waited, he ground up a charcoaled branch and tried camouflaging the backpack. It didn't do too well; mid would've been better. But for mud, he needed water.

Kendall stood up, picking up his food and heading in the oppooite direction the Careers —and Heather— took. Well, could he call her a Career now? He really wasn't sure. Obviously, she was acting like one now. But he wasn't sure she had it in her to actually be them. Traitor or not, she still seemed sweet, and not brutish or cruel like the others were. She was nothing like Stephanie, or that horrible Lucy. Or Mercedes.

Mercedes. Another puzzle he wanted to try and solve. Why didn't she kill him? Maybe she was distracted by all the stuff at the Cornucopia? Or maybe she decided he just wasn't worth her time. He wished he knew. Not that it'd help him in any way.

He finished off some of the rabbit and wrapped the other half in the sheet of plastic, tucking it into his pack for later. It helped the hunger pains in his stomach. But water was his priority now. He needed to find some quickly. He stood up, kicked some dirt over the coals, and walked the opposite direction the Careers had gone. He was still heading downhill, but realised now this could be a good thing. Water ran downhill, after all. He had better chance of finding it here, and there was no way he was going back to the lake.

He walked on. At some point he heard a twig snap and dived to the floor, taking cover in a bush. It was James, walking through the woods and looking around. Kendall thought about drawing an arrow and killing him there and then. But he couldn't.

James held a spear in his hand, and had a small pack attached to his belt. He took another look over his shoulder, before running off into the trees. Kendall waited a good fifteen minutes before getting up and walking on.

He wondered if he held the screens in the Capitol right now. In case he did, he made sure to keep his expression blank. Claudius Templesmith must've been going crazy over all this. A District 11 girl joining the Careers, a 12 tribute only a few feet away. He wondered now, if District 11 had any sponsors. He felt certain James did. He was handsome and strong, after all. The Captitol liked handsome.

The sun rose in the sky, and even through the canopy of the trees it seemed much too bright. After some more walking, he coated his lips with grease from the rabbit and tried to stop panting. But it didn't help. It had only been a day and he was dehydrating fast. He kept walking into the valley, trying to spot any change of environment that could indicate a nearby water source. But no, everything was the same.

As the day wore on, he realised he was in trouble. The dry patch on his tongue refused to moisten, the sun hurt his eyes. He took out the sunglasses and put them on, but they made everything look lopsided and weird, so he quickly took them off again. They made him even dizzier than he already was.

Spotting a clump of bushes covered with berries got his hopes up, but when he dived forward and picked some, he saw they weren't blueberries like he'd thought. They were a different shape, and when he dug in his fingernail and broke it open, the inside was a dark red. He bit his lip. He knew not to eat any berries unless he was positive they weren't poisonous. But it took a few minutes of repeating this for him to manage throwing them away. He was so tired now. He had to stop and rest every few minutes, and wanted nothing more than to just lie down and not get up again. But it was moving forward that would help him, so he couldn't.

When nightfall came, he climbed a tree as high as he dared with his shaky hands, and strapped himself into the sleeping bag. He coldn't eat, so he just stared up at the sky blankly until the anthem began to play. The only face to appear was Jennifer from 5, with the long brown hair. She must've been the girl who list the fire. Poor thing.

He shut his eyes and tried to sleep.

_"Do you think he'll be ok?" Katie asked her mother._

_"Oh, I'm sure he will," Mrs Knight replied quickly. "He's very good in the woods. You know that. I'm sure he'll find water."_

_Logan stared at the screen, eyes wide. He was worried. Worried for Kendall. His father had once told him how bad dehydration was. How it was one of the worst ways to die. And Logan didn't want that for Kendall. Never in a million years._

In the morning, Kendall's head throbbed and his heart pounded. Rather than jump from the tree, he just fell, landing on his knees with a huff. He knew he should be moving more cautiously, but his mind was foggy and all he could think was Water, water . . .

Maybe he could go back to the lake.

No way. It was like a watering hole. The number one attraction for predators. He wouldn't make it all the way there, anyway.

He could wait for rain. But there wasn't a cloud in the sky. To keep searching, however agonising it was, was his only option.

Suddenly Kendall thought of Gustavo, and felt outraged. That fat idiot could send him water! Yes, sending in gifts was expensieve, but surely District 12 had some sponsors!

Kendall took a deep breath and opened his mouth. "Water," he said as loud as he dared, noticing how hoarse and week his voice was.

But no little parachute came floating down. Nothing.

What was he playing at? Gustavo disliked him, but he couldn't want him to die. And even if he did, he wouldn't risk the anger of the District. He had a feeling that Ripper, the woman who sold the liquor would be keeping her business away from him. He wouldn't chance that, would he?

So why wasn't he helping him?

And then the obvious came to him. Maybe it was a message. If Gustavo hadn't sent him water, it must've meant that he was close to it. And this was what drove Kendall to walking further ahead. He could do this, he could do this . . .

_"He's coming a little close to the West side, there," a Gamemaker called out._

_"We'll soon drive him back," the head Gamemeaker Carlton Banks smiled, eyeing the camera that showed him Kendall Knight, stumbling along in a daze. "Muttation?"_

_"Got it," the Gamemaker replied. "Muttation, habitat . . . here, will this do?"_

_Carlton grinned. "Perfect."_

Kendall leaned against a tree, panting like a puppy dog. Everything was spinning a little. He stumbled forward anonther few steps. And then stumbled some more because he was on a steep slope. He blinked dazedly, coming to his senses and seeing it at last. A large pond at the foot of the slope, surrounded by bushes. Ok, maybe it looked a little like a swamp, but he couldn't care less at this point. Water was water.

He ran down the hill, tripping at least twice and ending up falling and landing on his butt only a few feet away from the water. Finally. He crawled forward, grinning like a madman. The water may not have been very clear —and very dark—but he could purify it well enough, surely. He was so thirsty now it was dimming his senses.

He tentatively dipped a hand in the water. And when nothing happened, he sat back for a second, just to catch his breth. As he did, he got his backpack and opened it to find the water container.

That was when the water exploded.

Or that was what it looked like to Kendall. He shrieked, leaping back what distance he could. But now he could see why the water had burst upwards. And he was too slow to react as the tentacle shot out and wrapped tightly around his left leg.

Kendall let out a blood-curdling scream, writhing on the ground and trying to pull back as the tentacle dragged him forward. His calf was burning, stinging with an unbearable pain. His foot was now fully submerged in the water. Kendall's fumbling fingers yanked the knife from his belt, and with a roar he sliced down right through the tentacle grabbing his leg. And again. And again until blood spurted from the slimy black skin and his leg was released. Without waiting, Kendall leaped up and ran back up the hill, finding new energy in his fear. He ran, stumbling through the bushes and tripping over roots until he couldn't go any further.

The next root knocked him flat, the breath knocked out of him as he lay on his stomach. He had tears in his eyes, and prayed the cameras couldn't see. He slowly rolled onto his back, panting and trying to get the air into his lungs. Everything was a blur.

_It's alright. This is a good place to die._

His hands gripped the soft earth around him, his eyes drifting shut.

_"Hey!" Logan squealed, ducking and laughing. It did no good though, as another clump of mud struck him on the leg. "Watch it!"_

_Kendall just laughed, ducking and diving in behind the reeds as Logan flung mud at him. He was six years old, at the lake with his father and brother. Well, either small lake or large pond, his father always said it could be either._

_"You missed me!" he giggled, running across the grass when Logan chased him._

_"Alright, you won't be laughing long!"_

_Kendall shrieked as his dad grabbed him, lifting him up over his shoulders. "Swimming time, squirt! Hold your breath!"_

_Logan laughed as Kendall was flung into the clear water, squealing all the way. He popped up again immediately, treading water and laughing. He could smell the pond lilies that were floating around him, could feel the mud against his toes when he kicked his legs . . ._

Mud.

Kendall sat up, breath catching on his throat so suddenly he burst into a fit of coughing. He could feel mud on his fingers, mud on the ground. And he could smell lilies! Pond lilies!

Kendall turned around and started crawling, fumbling along weakly to the source of the scent. He let out a weak sob of relief. A pond, half sheltered by trees and bushes, mud all over the bank. And those beautiful lilies floating on the surface. Kendall crawled forward to the edge, dipping his hand in. Somehow he knew this was ok. Grinning, he filled the flask up with water. And it was little common sense he had left that stopped him from gulping it all down. He took out the bottle of iodine and added the right amount of drops. And while he waited for it to purify, he started rubbing mud over the backpack, camouflaging it completely until it matched the forest floor almost exactly.

When that was done, he trusted enough time had passed and picked up the container. After a few gulps, he put it down again. He had to take it slow. And while he waited for that, he decided to examine his left leg.

The entire pants leg almost up to the knee was ripped and ruined, so he got his knife and cut it off entirely. He winced as he looked. It wasn't as bad as he'd expected, at least. That tentacle must've had teeth or spikes or something on it, because Kendall's whole calf was covered with scratches and cuts. But they didn't look serious; the deepest was something he'd had before and nothing too drastic. He washed the blood off his leg and drank some more water. Within the next hour, he'd swallowed the entire two litres. And he felt so much better. Over the next couple of hours, he drank another two litres, then purified another as he ate some more of the rabbit, along with one of the crackers from his pack.

It was evening by now, so he hopped up into a tree and snuggled up in his sleeping bag. Now that he thought about it, that tentacle thing was probably just to drive him back. He had a feeling if we were to go back there, that swamp might have disappeared altogether. But he could never be sure.

This was the Hunger Games, after all.

_Carlos had never felt anything like this._

_As he watched Kendall screaming and trying to break free from the mutt that's had him in his grasp, he felt undeniable fear. Fear for the boy he'd loved for so long. A boy who from sometimes felt like his brother, sometimes his friend . . . sometimes lover. But not often. Mostly there were those two struggling souls, who leaned on each other for warmth and support._

_And then when he thought of Logan, his cheeks flushed. With Logan, he felt so . . . wanted. With Kendall, sure it had been nice. A needy thing, something they did because of all the pressure on their shoulders. But he felt like Logan wanted him. It seemed more sensitive, more raw with emotion._

_These two feelings were familiar. Nothing strange and alien. But the fact that he felt these two emotions together as he watched the screen— he just didn't understand this._

_He loved Kendall._

_Did he love Logan the same way he love Kendall? Or maybe it was the fact that he didn't feel the same towards Kendall as he did Logan._

_It had his head spinning just thinking about it. He trusted he would figure it out soon. Or else try and push it to the back of his mind. For now._

Kendall's eyes opened at the sound of stampeding feet. He rolled onto his back, looking up. His eyes widened. Shit.

His first instinct was to leap from the tree, but he was belted in. He opened the belt and rolled over, falling out and landing on his back with a thump. Trying to catch his breath, he scrambled out of the sleeping bag —which thankfully had all his gear in it— and ran.

The wall of fire was gigantic, turning the woods into a world of flames and smoke. Burning branches fell from trees and landed at his feet in a shower of sparks. All he could do was follow the animals running for their lives. Their instincts were sharper than his. But they were much faster, and their feet didn't catch on roots and fallen branches like his did.

The heat was unbearable. But the smoke was worse. He pulled his shirt up over his nose; it was soaked in sweat and offered a thinrotection. He ran on, his sleeping bag banging against his bak, his face cut and scratched from branches that seemed to appear from nowhere in the smokey haze. But he kept running, choking. Of course, he knew that this was. This fire couldn't be an accident; it was Gamemaker-made. Probably to drive the tributes together. There had been no deaths today, and maybe not much fighting either. the Games were becoming dull. Something they could never do.

He leaped over a burning log, but not high enough. The end of his jacket caught fire, and he had to stop and rip it from his body, stamping out the flames. Then he stuffed it into his sleeping bag and hoped the lack of air inside would extinguish what he hadn't. He couldn't leave it behind, he wouldn't.

His lungs felt like they were burning. He couldn't stop coughing, each breath hurting his chest. He felt a churning feeling in his stomach and took cover under an outcrop of rock. Then he threw up, gagging and retching on the ground. He retched until there was nothing left to come up. He grabbed his water and took a sip to rinse out his mouth, then a few swallows to help his throat. He rolled up his sleeping bag and messily stuffed everything into his backpack, before pulling his bow and arrows back onto his shoulder. This part of the woods was unfamiliar to him, but he knew his rest was over and he had to run again.

That was when the first fireball shot out and struck a tree half a metre from his head. He shrieked, scrambling out from under the rock ledge and taking off.

Well, now the Gamemakers were looking for some real fun. When he heard the hiss of another fireball, he dove down to the ground, not taking the time to look. He was barely on his feet again before the next one hit where he'd been lying, sending up a massive pillar of fire. Never in his life had Kendall felt any fear like this.

Maybe if he got out of this part of the woods, there would be no more launchers. But he couldn't keep a plan in his head as he dodged and ran past the fireballs. He could lose his life in a split second, if a Gamemeaker wanted it. He just kept running, trusting he would get into another part of the woods soon.

Eventually, the attacks seemed to lessen. Which was good, because he was retching again. This time it was noting but an acidic substance that burned his throat and forced him to stop as his body convulsed violently, trying to rid itself of the poisons from this attack. There was no hissing, so he stayed still, the force of the retching stinging his eyes. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his clothes were drenched in sweat. He was wiping at his eyes angrily when the next hissing came.

He didn't react fast enough. The fireball skimmed past his side, skidding over his right calf on its way. He screamed in pain, falling onto his knees. He rolled around to quell the flames on his trouser leg. Then angrily ripped the blackened fabric away. He was shaking, his calf burning, his hands covered in red welts. He couldn't move any further, if they wanted to kill hm, now was their chance.

He heard Marcos's voice in his head: "The boy on fire."

The Gamemakers must've been hysterical. Maube Marcos's designs were what inspired this torture.

The attack was over now. He knew the Gamemakers didn't want to kill him. Not yet, at leat. Occasionally a Gamemaker would kill a tribute just to show the others they could. But mostly they moved them around so they would face each other.

Which could only mean one thing. If he wasn't being fired at anymore (no pun intended), there was another tribute nearby.

If he could he would drag himself into a tree, but the smoke was much too thick. He forced himself to stand and limped away from the wall of flames. As he got further away, the woods became darker, foggy and dim with the smoke. He realised he could see the occasional stream of sunlight through the haze. He could just about see ten metres in every direction. A tribute could easily be hiding here. He could've drawn his bow, but he doubted he could hold it for long. But the pain in his hands was nothing compared to his calf. He hated burns more than any other wound. He could hardly bear the small ones from the oven, let alone this.

He let out a weak cough, stopping and leaing against a tree. Then he heard the crack of a twig on the ground. Oh shit!

He hurried forward, then realised it was a mistake. Going too fast too suddenly made his head spin, his face grow hotter than before. With a faint cough, he felt himself falling, landing on the ground with a soft thump. Everything was dim. He saw his poor burnt hands, one twirling a little plant around his finger, before he heard the cannon go off.

_Oh God, it's a Career . . . they're going to kill me . . ._

But he couldn't get up. His eyes slid shut and his head finally stopped hurting as he blacked out.

_"He's going to kill him, Carlos!" Logan was screaming, hands in his hair, eyes wide with horror. Carlos quickly rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's only the fourth day, this isn't fair!"_

_"Wait!" Carlos stopped his ranting. "Just stop. Look." He didn't know what he felt right then. Jealousy, maybe? Or just shock._

_Nobody expected what happened right then._

James looked down at the still body by his feet.

He hadn't expected to kill so soon. But there was a wicked part of him that felt satisfied when he heard the crunch of his spear in Jo's back, jarring her spine. He'd hoped that in these Games, he wouldn't kill anyone without a reason. Without a reason besides the 'fellow tributes must die' excuse. But he felt this time, he had a valid reason.

He left his spear in Jo's body and took hers. She had no supplies so he didn't bother searching her. He left her there and walked away, the sound of the hovercraft echoing behind him. He walked forward another few steps to where his reason lay. In his hand he held the spear that had been seconds away from stopping his heart. That was a better reason than any.

Kendall lay still on his side, his hair hanging down over his face. His lips were slightly parted, and James could hear every breath he took. He knelt down next to him, brushing the hair out of his eyes. A smile crept out over his lips as he watched the boy lying there. He knew the cameras would see his. And didn't care all that much.

He wanted to examine Kendall's wounds, but decided that it would be better if he left them alone. He slid a hand down under Kendall's waist, another behind his knees, and picked him up. Standing up, he carried Kendall carefully across the forest floor, coughing a little at the smoke still surrounding them. But it wasn't as thick as before, and he knew he would be ok. It didn't take him long to get to the pond. He lay Kendall down gently next to the water, flat on his back. As he did, the blonde's eyes fluttered faintly and James froze. But Kendall didn't wake up. He would wake here, and find himself alone. Maybe he'd wonder how he got there, or maybe he'd just assume he was so dazed when he fainted he had no idea where he was. What mattered was that here, he could heal. Which was what James wanted.

And when he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Kendall's sweaty forehead, before getting up and running off, all of Panem knew who James Diamond loved.

**Well, there you go! XD**

**IMPORTANT. When the next chapter is posted, the rating is gonna go up. So look for this in the M section. THERE WILL BE SMUT. You get a shutout of you can guess who! XD lol, review! :)**


	9. Valid Reasons

**Sorry I took so long with updating shit. You know, school and stuff . . . And nobody's mentioned the crossover thing to me since, so I don't think it's gonna move :) but we'll see, I guess . . .**

**The only person to get a shoutout for correctly guessing the smut pairing (though to be fair, I did tell her this pairing was in it) is my beautiful wife xPlasticJaganx, formerly KamesandCargan :) **

**Enjoy the chapter guys! XD**

Kendall's eyes fluttered open, and he sat up. Immediately wishing he hadn't as his head throbbed painfully. Then the pain in his leg and hands came crashing back, making him stiffen up and grit his teeth in agony. How did he get here? He glanced around. Nothing looked familiar to him. Though the air was still smoky, there was was a definite improvement, but it was too heavy still to be healthy. He could just stay here for a little while.

He lay on his stomach by the cold pool, dipping his burnt hands in. He gave a sigh of relief. Logan had always said cold water was the first good treatment for a burn. Though, that was probably for minor burns only. His leg could easily be a whole different matter. Not that he knew for sure; he wasn't a healer. Plus, he didn't really have the guts to look at it right now.

He made a half-hearted attempt to wash the blood and ash off his face, and then decided not to bother. Instead he took a shaky breath and slowly swung his leg out in front of him. He heard a faint whimper of horror, and realised it had fallen from his own lips.

The burn was about the size of his hand, red and angry looking. And it hurt so bad . . . but it wasn't as severe as he'd dreaded. Slowly he leaned his leg out and dipped it in the pond, keeping his foot balanced and only slightly damp on a rock. Burns were always what he'd hated the most, and they were the most common injury in District 12. Typical. He could barely handle a tiny burn from a hot tray; his was an entirely different matter.

While there was no way he was moving his leg any time soon, he took his hands out every few minutes and set about re-organising his supplies. He filled his flask with water and left it to purify as he ate one of the crackers from his pack. His jacket was destroyed; he cut off a massive patch of charred fabric, leaving the jacket cut off to the bottom of his ribs. At least he still had the hood. And now half of his clothes were cut off.

He drank his water slowly, taking his time and letting himself relax. Had he really been in that much of a daze that he hadn't noticed the pond before he fainted? No, he felt surely he would've seen it, he would've remembered. So what happened?

He sighed, deciding not to bother thinking about it. He was lucky to be alive, he didn't need to be questioning anything.

Though this was the third time he'd narrowly escaped something without a good explanation.

Whatever. The charred flesh of his leg was a little distracting right now anyway.

He whimpered in pain, leaning back against a tree and shutting his eyes. The pain never seemed to ease much. It wore on, throbbing on his leg and never ceasing. But he couldn't show he was in pain, not if he could help it. Potential sponsors were watching, as was his family, and Carlos. He couldn't let them see he was suffering. He was supposed to be strong.

_Gustavo sat in the main Capitol square, watching the Games on one of the three large screens on the surrounding buildings. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a group of men laughing at the onscreen events. And as two women passed him, he briefly heard one say, "The poor dear, he'll never win the Games like that!"_

_"I always love this stage!" the other replied excitedly. "Always so thrilling to watch!"_

_And Kelly wondered why he hated people._

_Because people were cruel, and selfish. Horrible, to put it in a single word. Or disgusting, that worked too._

_Little Dog was in pain, Gustavo could see it in his eyes. That leg burn looked extremely nasty to deal with. Cold water wasn't enough to treat it._

_Gustavo got up and headed to the nearest of the fancy bars, in which rich snobby civilians would make bets on the tributes and talk about potentials to sponsor. Plenty of money going around._

_Just what they needed._

He barely noticed the beeping sound at first.

Kendall's eyes widened as the little parachute landed next to him. He reached over for it, opening the little container and taking out a little metal pot. He opened it up to find a thick white ointment inside it. It smelled strong, reminding him a little of the healing substances his mother used at home. Though this was clearly much higher standard of medicine. He read the little note attached.

_Apply generously, little dog. -G_

Kendall grinned, hoping the cameras caught it and Gustavo would see just how grateful he was. He dipped his fingers in and rubbed some of the medicine onto his leg. He gasped, eyes drifting shut in bliss as the most wonderful cooling sensation spread over the previously painful area. He rubbed more and more on every inch of his burnt leg, before spreading some over his hands and putting the medicine in his pack. He sat back against a tree, sighing in relief. He felt so much better now . . .

When he woke up, looking at the sun told him he must've slept all the way to afternoon. Jesus, he couldn't let that happen again, he was lucky nobody had slit his throat while he was sleeping. He drank some more water and refilled the flask before getting to his feet. He munched happily on a beef strip and cracker as he walked. He could catch something later on.

The day wore on, and he kept walking. Naturally, walking hurt, but not as much as he'd expected. He didn't have to limp much; the pain didn't lessen or worsen with the way he walked. It was just sore, no matter what he did. Evening was coming closer. He wondered if it was time to go hunting, or if he should just forget that and go find a tree to sleep in, and worry about food in the morning.

Well, a few seconds later that didn't matter too much. He had other things on his mind.

_"KENDALL, DON'T STEP THERE!"_

It happened in a split second. Kendall took a step, he heard a snap, something tightened around his ankle. Next thing he knew he was up in the air, yelping in shock as he found himself hanging upside down above the ground. Snare. Fuck it. Immediately as he started trying to break free, Kendall heard clattering and looked up to see two cans tied to the snare, effectively acting as an alarm for whoever made it. Tribute caught.

Kendall took a deep breath and leaned forward, feeling his shoulder and back strain as he tried to grab hold of his leg and pull himself up. He gritted his teth, finally managing to grab onto his thigh and hold it tightly. He panted a little, before moving his hands up his leg, climbing up as he did until his hands finally reached the rope above his ankles and he was bent in half in mid air. The cans were still clattering together as he reached into his belt for his knife, grabbing it and cutting at the rope under his hand.

He saw Dak crashing through the trees towards him just as the rope snapped and he was free. He swung his leg out and kicked at the District 4 boy, momentarily deterring him as he let go of the rope and landed on the ground, legs shaking slightly.

Instantly Dak was coming towards him again and Kendall was dodging the fist about to smash into his nose, before slamming forward and knocking Dak against a tree. Dak snarled, before turning and yelling at the top of his voice, "I'VE GOT HIM!"

Kendall's eyes widened and he jumped back, eyes wide as he stared into Dak's laughing face. "Nowhere to run now, is there?" Dak grinned, taking another step towards him.

"Dak, we're coming!"

Dak laughed again. But it only lasted a second, before his heart stopped instantly as Kendall's arrow stuck deep in his skin.

Kendall was trembling as he watched Dak fall. His first kill. The cannon went off.

It hurt. It felt nothing like killing a deer, or a squirrel.

Dak had a family back home. Maybe he had a little sister who was waiting for him to come back . . . maybe he had a girlfriend too . . . and friends who thought he might come back alive . . . "I'm so sorry," Kendall found himself murmuring under his breath. "I had to . . ."

He heard the Careers crashing towards him and ran in the opposite direction, not knowing where he was going and not caring. He'd left an arrow behind too. Didn't care about that either. He had to get away, they couldn't catch him, he had to escape—

Kendall tripped and landed in a patch of bristly flowers, hissing in pain as he got to his feet again. His hands were scratched and stinging like crazy. As if they weren't painful enough already.

And he suddenly felt very dizzy. He ran off again, but immediately he knew something was wrong. He kept stumbling, vision blurry, every sound echoing around him. What the hell was in those plants?

The next time he tripped, he couldn't get back up. Was he dying?

It served him right for what he did.

He managed to crawl, and hid in a shallow ditch under some thick bushes. Maybe he could hide here until it wore off—

The sky was dark by now. He saw an image Jo's face above him before he fell unconscious.

The fire must've got her . . .

_"Shh," Kendall giggled, arms wrapped around Carlos's neck. "Don't be so loud."_

_"Why not?" Carlos smirked, hands gently trailing down Kendall's bare sides. "Nobody's going to hear us. Except maybe the squirrels . . ."_

_"You're kind of destroying the peace."_

_"Since when has that mattered to you?"_

_"I don't mean it like that, I just . . ." Kendall bit his lip, wide green eyes looking up at Carlos. "It's just nice and quiet. Relaxing, you know? No need to wake everything up . . ."_

_"Got it," Carlos grinned, leaning down and kissing Kendall's soft lips. Kendall gave a soft whimper, one hand running through the older's short hair, the other running down his strong chest slowly. His fingers were cold but they burned against Carlos's skin, making him moan softly as his hands drew lower and closer to the hem of his pants. Carlos growled low in his throat, reaching for Kendall's shirt and yanking it off. Then his lips were working their way down the blonde's small body, tongue gently sliding over little bumps and soft scars on his pale skin._

_Kendall moaned softly, legs hugging Carlos's hips so he couldn't go down any further, before pulling him back up and kissing his neck softly as his hand dove deep into Carlos's pants._

_Carlos moaned loudly, but Kendall's request to keep the peace was completely forgotten. Carlos was tugging Kendall's trousers and underwear down, lifting his hips carefully as he tugged them down past his knees and over his feet, leaving them somewhere in the grass, not that he gave a shit where._

_Kendall was trying to pull Carlos's clothes off too, getting them stuck around his thighs and bursting into a fit of soft laughter. Carlos grinned down at him, thumb reaching out to gently brush over the little dimple on his cheek. "God, you're beautiful."_

_Kendall's cheeks turned pink. He responded by pulling Carlos in for another kiss, opening his legs wide and tugging on Carlos's hair._

_Carlos worked him open slowly and gently, leaving gentle kisses against his neck and chest as he did. Sometimes he used his tongue as well, but not often. It all depended on what they felt like doing. Sometimes Kendall would be on all fours, hands clenching tightly in the grass as Carlos kissed and ran his fingers over the ridges of his spine. Other times Carlos would lie on his back in the long grass while Kendall rocked on top of him, throwing his head back and whimpering quietly as the sunlight caught his hair just right._

_This time was like most others; Kendall laid out on top of Carlos's jacket, his legs balanced on Carlos's hips as he slid in slowly. They mostly did this in warmer weather; once frost started appearing in the mornings and snow started falling, it was obviously too cold to strip. Once they'd found themselves hidden in the back of somebody's old shed, Kendall holding tightly onto Carlos's shoulders, leaving fingertip-shaped bruises as Carlos thrust into him and pressed him up against the wooden wall._

_Kendall was holding Carlos's shoulders now, moaning low in his throat as he bucked his hips up against the Latino's. Carlos grunted as his hips snapped forward, chuckling as Kendall threw his head back in pleasure, blonde hair already a tousled mess, green eyes dilated and half closed._

_They'd done this so many times. Maybe they were both young, and a bit stupid, but they needed this. And what better place to get it than from each other?_

_Kendall always came first. Mostly because Carlos was determined to hold on until he did. This time, all it took was seeing Kendall come undone for Carlos to do the same, filling Kendall up, before slowly pulling out. Kendall was panting weakly, lips parted as his eyes finally met Carlos's. He smiled. Carlos smiled back. _

He was just sixteen and Kendall was almost fourteen when Kendall told him he wanted to end what they had. Whatever that was. He gave a couple of reasons. And in fairness, they seemed valid.

It still hurt either way.

Carlos sat in the long grass. This was pretty much the exact spot that he and Kendall had made love all those times. He wondered if those still meant as much to Kendall as they did to him.

He wondered if he'd ever get to ask.

**In case I have to explain, I'm just gonna say that the kenlos is a flashback. Everyone probably knows that though anyways. And most likely Carlos's dream judging by his little bit afterwards. I'll leave that up to you guys though :P and i know the smut is really vague and stuff but like i said, a flashback. I will be doing smut that's happening in the present, and it'll be smutty smut :) reviews are appreciated!**


	10. Sleeping Space

**Welp, new chapter. Idk how I got from ten reviews down to three or four but these things happen, I guess. I'm not that offended :P anyway, here's your new chapter!**

_Where am I?_

Kendall sat up slowly, wincing as sunlight shone far too brightly into his eyes. He looked up at the sky through the branches of the trees, and for a second he was able to think rationally, and managed to figure out that it was the middle of the afternoon. He felt stiff, sore and dirty, lips dry and skin rough. As he reached for his backpack, he hissed in pain as he flexed his hands and felt the sting coming back. The scratches were a nasty red shade and hurt even more than they had when he got them. He gingerly opened his pack, took out his water container and gulped the rest of the contents down. Then he put it back into his bag, and after another minute of sitting there, he struggled to his feet.

He was trying to make sense of what had happened. Obviously here had been some kind of poison in those plants. But before that . . .

Of course, now he remembered.

He killed Dak. He killed someone.

Kendall squeezed his eyes shut and tried to shut the thoughts out. But all he could think about now was that boy. Of course, as he gathered his belongings and began walking again, he stayed clear of the directon that he'd come from. He knew himself that he'd killed Dak pretty much out of self-defence. If he hadn't done it, then either Dak would've killed him or the other Careers certainly would have.

So why did he feel so guilty?

Kendall suddenly tripped over a root and came to his senses. He had to stay focused! If he absolutely had to he could let the guilt come back and eat away at him while he tried to sleep. But now, no. He had to concentrate on survival. That was the most important thing, and if he lost sight of that, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Kendall went hunting and managed to catch two small plump birds as he came closer to the river. He sat down on a rock ready to pluck them, wiping the sweat off his brow when an idea suddenly came to him as he looked down at the glimmering water. He quickly dropped the two birds onto the ground in the shade of a rock, taking off his jacket and covering them and his backpack. Then he unbuttoned his shirt and peeled it off, followed by his shoes, socks and trousers. Yes, all of Panem could now see him in nothing but his underwear. Nope, he didn't give a damn.

Kendall knelt down by the water and washed his clothes, unable to help wrinkling his nose in disgust when the dirt from his shirt alone floated away on the surface of the water. When he was done, he left his clothes to dry on a nearby rock and slid into the stream himself, sighing with relief as it cooled him down.

He stayed in the shallows, on his knees as he bent down to wash his hair, rubbing at it with his fingertips and dunking it under the water. He washed the dried blood, grime and sweat off his body, losing that stiff and uncomfortable feeling along with it. He felt so much fresher now, and a lot more alive.

Then suddenly he heard a twig snap and turned, eyes wide. He grabbed his bow and an arrow and aimed at the source of the noise. It was James. And for some reason, this was what made him hesitate before shooting.

"I just came to get water," was all James could get out, eyes wide and hands up. One of them held a spear, but he wasn't aiming it at Kendall. "Sorry . . ."

Kendall was dropping his weapons before any form of logic could take over. "It's okay." He crawled out onto the bank, sitting up on a rock and giving James a soft smile. "Fill it up, then. I'm not stopping you."

James bent down and filled his own container, closing it afterwards and making his way over to sit beside Kendall. Somehow an invitation wasn't needed.

"You're not gonna purify it?" Kendall asked him, eyeing the container.

"I don't have any of that stuff." James shrugged. "I've drunk water like this before so, it doesn't bother me much."

"Here." Kendall hurried over to where his backpack was and took out his bottle of iodine, handing it over. "Just use a couple of drops. It's better for you."

James did, grinning at him. "Thank you." Kendall wasn't sure if he was imagining it, or if James's eyes wandered down his almost naked body a lot slower than he found entirely comfortable. But he just shrugged and sat back on the rock, feeling completely relaxed for the first time since the Reaping Day.

"This is a good spot," James commented, looking around. "It's fairly open. Nobody can sneak up on us."

Kendall nodded in agreement, something about the word 'us' flushing his cheeks a little. He thought about it for another minute or two, and then spoke up. "You know . . . the Careers aren't the only ones who can form alliances."

James gaped at him, eyebrows raised. "You and me?"

"Well, why not?" Kendall shrugged, giving a carefree smile. He genuinely had no idea where all this trust and confidence had come from. But it was turning out pretty useful. "I trust you. And I know you're smart. We can learn from each other, right? And there's strength in numbers."

"But you know it can't last forever."

"I know that. But until we need to break it . . ."

"Let's shake on it," James grinned, holding out his hand. When Kendall took it, the taller boy added, "Allies. They won't know what hit 'em."

Kendall gave a light chuckle before heading over to where his clothes lay and pulling them back on, the sun having dried them well enough for him. "How've you been doing?" Kendall asked, sitting back down. "I'll show you what I've got if you show me."

James opened the small pouch on his belt and emptied the contents out. A large cluster of the strange berries Kendall has rejected spilled into his palm. "You've been eating these?"

James nodded. "I eat them all the time at home. They just taste like blackberries. Totally harmless."

The rest of James's supplies included a pair of thick socks, some other different kinds of berries, nuts and leaves, a pair of sunglasses similar to Kendall's, and a knife. "You've got these too," Kendall commented, holding up the sunglasses. "What are they for? I put them on one day but everything looked all weird."

James chuckled. "They're for seeing at night. We used them in the orchards all the time back home."

More and more every minute, Kendall was happy that he'd chosen James as an ally. The guy was smart, and he felt like they got along well. "I've caught some birds," he said at last, picking them up and showing him. "If you pluck this one for me, we can cook them."

"Won't the Careers see the fire?"

"Let them. There's two of us now."

As they began to work, a question suddenly came to Kendall's mind. "Hey, James . . . I passed out, the day that Dak and Jo died. And I woke up this afternoon. How much have I missed?"

"You slept through a whole day," James replied, brow furrowed as he plucked the feathers of the bird in a deeply focused manner. "There are two more dead; Ozzy and Heather."

"Oh." Immediately, Kendall remembered where Heather had come from, carefully reaching out and squeezing James's hand for a moment. "Sorry about Heather . . . I know you two were friends." He chose not to mention that he'd seen Heather with the Careers. "What do you think got them both?"

"I know what got them both. I was there." James sighed. "They were by the lake at the time, near that steep drop to God knows where. I was hiding in the trees. I wanted to steal some of their supplies, but then I saw Heather there and I wondered if maybe I could get her attention. I just had a gut feeling that she couldn't have joined them. She's too . . . she's too sincere. She'd never betray her district, ever. I just know she wouldn't."

"So, what happened?"

"Their backs were turned," James continued. "And Heather— she had that sickle thing, I don't know if you saw it before — but she looked like she was waiting for something. The next thing I knew she just . . . I swear, I've never seen so much blood. Ozzy didn't stand a chance, she pretty much sliced his entire body open. I'd say he was dead in seconds." James looked uncomfortable, recalling this memory. "Then as his canon went off, the Careers turned on her. She got a knife to the chest. I was relieved, to be honest. Wayne looked ready to completely butcher her. I bet he would've killed her slowly. But Lucy didn't." He bit his lip, looking so miserable that it near broke Kendall's heart.

He reached out and tentatively took James's hand again. "She was really brave, then. That's something." He felt extremely guilty for having ever thought of Heather as a traitor. She was probably the kindest and bravest of all of them at this point.

James grinned at Kendall. "I'm glad you think so." Then his eyes fell on their intertwined hands and he frowned. "Your hand . . . both of them. What happened?"

"Oh." Kendall bit his lip. "I . . . I was running and I fell, and I scratched them on these plants that looked kind of like thistles." He didn't mention why he was running.

"They're starting to swell a bit," James said worriedly.

"Yeah, I know . . ."

"I can fix them for you." James reached into his pack and dug around until he retrieved a clump of large, dark green leaves. "Hold out your hands."

Kendall did, surprised to see James hold out a leaf before spitting on it, rubbing it against another of the leaves for a second or two and then wrapping them around Kendall's stung hands.

"Oh my god." The moan slipped out before Kendall could stop it.

James laughed. "These are great, you should remember them. They relieve anything; cuts, a graze, stings, whatever. But they don't do anything for burns. I tried that already . . ."

Kendall's mind turned away from the relief and satisfaction he was feeling instantly. "Are you burnt?"

James showed him a large, ugly burn on his forearm. "I have something for that," Kendall grinned, taking out his tub of medicine and opening it up, before taking some on his fingers and dabbing it onto James's burn, rubbing it in gently and slowly. "There you go."

"You've got great sponsors," James sighed.

"You don't have any? I'm surprised."

"Yeah well . . . I guess they're not very interested in me."

"They should be." Kendall blushed after saying it. But he didn't know why.

Kendall started a fire and cooked one of the plump birds while James kept watch. The brunette added some of the roots he'd found to the meal; they were juicy and tasted like parsnips. Kendall loved parsnips.

"This is so good," James sighed happily as they bit into the juicy meat. "I haven't had any meat since these started." He gave Kendall a friendy smile. "I can't hunt like you."

Kendall's cheeks turned pink. "Um . . . do you want the other leg too?" Kendall held it out. "I haven't starved as much as you . . I'm smaller anyway, so I need less."

"No, no," James replied quickly. "It's yours."

"Take it," Kendall insisted, pressing it into his hands. He smirked. "You know you want to."

And he did, digging his teeth into it as proof and giving Kendall a grateful smile. Kendall smiled back, finishing his before sitting back against a rock, watching the dying flames flicker gently over the twigs and leaves they'd gathered.

"I'd have thought you might be better fed than us," Kendall said at last, taking a sip of his water. "I mean, you grow all this grain and other food . . ."

"No, we only get what we buy, and a little extra during harvest." James held a thin branch in his hand, scraping the top layer of bark off with his knife almost thoughtfully. "It's probably the same for you and coal, right?"

When Kendall nodded, James continued. "They're really strict, the Peacekeepers. If you're caught stealing, you get whipped in public, or you get shot on sight. That's just how they work."

"Wow." Kendall glanced up at the reddening sky and sighed. "That must be tough. But . . . I guess you're used to it."

James nodded in agreement, dragging the stick through the dirt by his feet. He whistled a song Kendall had never heard, and suddenly they heard it echoing all around them. Kendall grinned.

"We have a lot of mockingjays in our orchards," James grinned back at him. "I love them."

"I love them too. My dad used to tell me all about them . . ." Kendall stopped.

This time it was James who reached out and took Kendall's hand. "It's kind of how I always felt that I could trust you. Your pin."

"Oh." Kendall's eyes fell to where it was attached to his shirt. "If you like, you can—"

"I know what you're gonna say. No thanks." James smiled. "I like seeing it on you."

They divided the food supplies between them and put out the fire, kicking dirt over it until there was almost no evidence that it had ever been there. "It's getting dark, might as well find somewhere to sleep." Kendall glanced up. "Where do you sleep?"

"Sometimes the trees, sometimes under a clump of bushes."

"Do you get cold?" Kendall suddenly realised that James didn't have a sleeping-bag like he did.

"A little. I just put my jacket hood up and put the spare socks on over my hands." James shrugged like it was no big deal. And it really wasn't.

But Kendall reached into his pack and took out the sleeping-bag, sticking the backpack on his shoulder again before saying, "We can share."

"Share?" James squeaked, cheeks pink.

Kendall nodded, choosing to ignore his ally's strange reaction. "I think we'll fit. We just might need a bigger branch than I've been using. Shouldn't be too difficult."

"A-are you sure?"

"Yeah. Now come on, help me find a tree."

They did, and Kendall hopped up onto the suitable branch with ease, James crawling after him, a little bit slower but very agile and smooth. It was slightly awkward to drop all their belongings into the bottom of the sleeping-bag and then slide into it without one of them falling, but they managed. By the time they did, they were both breathless with laughter. Kendall had forgotten how good that felt.

"We might have to practice that," he giggled breathlessly, lying on his side and facing James. They'd both tied their belts firmly around the bag and the branch to make sure they didn't fall. They didn't have much extra room, but they weren't cramped together too tightly. It was comfortable enough.

"Yeah, maybe." James smiled at him, cheeks still slightly flushed. But Kendall assumed it was just from the climb and the ordeal they'd just experienced. "Tomorrow I can show you where I found some of my food if you want. And I can show you different ones too."

"And I'll show you how to make a snare. Then you can hunt too."

When Kendall fell asleep, head nestled slightly into James's shoulder, the brunette could barely comprehend what was happening right now. How long had they been in the arena? Not even a week yet, he was sure of that. So less than a week ago, he was on an acquaintance level with Kendall, if that. Now they were allies, and squeezed together in the same warm sleeping space. The urge to wrap his arms around Kendall's small body, or to kiss him, was overwhelming. Even another forehead kiss would be enough. But he didn't know how heavy a sleeper he was. He'd die of embarrassment if Kendall woke up and asked him what the heck he was doing.

So he closed his eyes, smiling and aware of the blonde head on his shoulder, and tried to sleep too.

_"Oh, they're just the cutest thing!" a Capitol woman squealed, clapping her hands. "They make such a beautiful couple!"_

_"Star-crossed lovers," a man sighed dreamily, unable to take his eyes off the screen. "Oh, if only we could see them come together before these Games end!"_

_Gustavo watched them, brow furrowed as he gazed hard at Kendall and James snuggled together in the sleeping-bag. He couldn't help smiling. "Nice work, little dog."_

* * *

><p>"I don't approve of this," Logan scowled, arms folded. "He's too young to sleep with a boy like that!"<p>

"Hey," Carlos smirked, glancing at Logan to see his reaction. "At least they're only sleeping."

"Ew!" Logan gagged, glaring at him. "That's my baby brother you're talking about!"

_Oh Logan, you have no idea._ Carlos sighed, a little bored of the Games now that Kendall was safe asleep and nothing else was really happening that he had interest in. "Wanna go for a walk?"

Logan nodded and they both got up, Logan grabbing his cane as they headed out the door. They held hands a little shyly; this was still knew to them. Logan used his cane with his other hand."It's going well enough so far," Logan said at last. "He hasn't been too badly injured or anything. And excluding him, there are only eleven tributes left."

Carlos nodded, grinning. "Maybe District 12 will have a winner this year after all." But as he said it, once again he became doubtful. This was really just false hope they were creating. There were still six Careers left. Sure, he had an ally now, but Carlos didn't know how well that would go. Still, at least there was one thing he knew he didn't have to worry about. There was no chance of James turning on Kendall and literally stabbing him in the back anytime soon.

He was too much of a lovestruck puppy for that.

And Kendall was too honest to even let that cross his mind.

Their alliance was sure to stay strong until it had to be broken. And when that time came, they'd probably just shake hands and part ways, hoping to never see each other again.

"I think the Hob is still open," Logan commented, bringing Carlos out of his thoughts. "Wanna go take a look around?"

Carlos nodded, letting go of Logan's hand as they walked through the doors. Logan shot him a grateful smile and Carlos smiled back. He understood that Logan might not want to face any questions about their relationship just yet. That was perfectly fine.

"Good evening, Griffin," Carlos smiled politely at the Head Peacekeeper.

Griffin smiled back. "Hello Carlos, Logan. Nice to see you both."

"Hi," Logan replied, looking completely disinterested in the man. Which confused Carlos quite a bit. Logan was usually polite and friendly to everybody he met. Unless he had a reason to dislike them. Did he have a reason to dislike Griffin?

"Well, um . . . I'd best be going," Griffin said at last, looking uncomfortable under Logan's piercing gaze as he hurried off.

"That was odd," Carlos frowned. Wasn't it?"

"Not really. Maybe he's busy," Logan shrugged nonchalantly. "Wanna go check out what they're selling? I've haven't been here since Thursdsy."

"Sure," Carlos smiled. "But afterwards, we're gonna go somewhere else." His voice dropped slightly. "Where no one will bother us."

Logan's cheeks turned red, but he grinned and nodded.

**I was thinking about putting cargan smut in this chapter but I decided not to. Because they haven't been together that long . . . and I didn't feel like it XD review pls? :) **


	11. Three

**Some terrible Cargan sex thrown in here for no reason. Sarah will be happy :P enjoy the chapter!**

"You've got to make sure the knot is tight," Kendall instructed. The two of them were kneeling in the undergrowth, by a small, thin tree. That morning, Kendall had woken up to find James had disappeared. He'd jumped down from the tree and packed everything up,senses on alert. But then James had returned only a few minutes later with some more roots. And Kendall decided that for the advice James had given him, he would give some in return. Which was why he was now showing James how to make a basic snare to catch a rabbit. "Got it? Are you listening?"

"Oh, yeah I'm listening," James replied vaguely. He wasn't; he was playing with a blue flower he'd plucked from the ground, twirling it between his fingers.

"Do you wanna learn how to catch a meal or not?" Kendall snapped. "If so, pay attention."

"Sorry, sir," James chuckled, looking up. "I'm listening, continue."

"Okay, so as I was saying, make sure it's tight." Kendall turned back to the snare and finished tying it firmly. "But don't strain it too much or it'll go off before it even catches anything . . ." His voice died out when he felt something smooth and silky brush off his cheek and push back his hair. Turning back to James with a puzzled frown, he saw James's empty hands and realised the brunette had put the flower in his hair.

"Um . . . why?"

"I dunno . . . I guess I wanted to see what it would look like," James said softly, cheeks turning slightly pink. "It makes you look gentler . . ."

"Gentle won't get us anywhere here," Kendall just about managed to reply. He didn't know why his voice was sticking in his throat so much.

"I know." James sighed, leaning over. His fingers brushed over the curve of Kendall's cheekbone as he reached for the flower and plucked it from behind his ear, dropping it onto the grund. Kendall found he couldn't breathe very well.

"So," he said briskly, once he managed to pull himself together and quickly get to his feet. "We'll leave that alone for a while. You were going to show me the berries and other things you found?"

"Yeah, come on." Kendall followed James across the woodland, keeping his footsteps quiet and slow and cautious as he did. Hunter's instinct always took him over when he was in places like this.

"Here they are," James smiled, stopping at a bush covered in the berries. "But listen, see these little red stalks that are hanging off some of them?"

When Kendall nodded, James continued. "They fall off after a while but if they're still on, it means the berries aren't ripe enough. They won't poison you but you could get a bit sick from them."

"Okay." Kendall carefully picked some berries with no stalks on them and popped them into his mouth. "They taste so good," he couldn't help moaning. "Do you get to eat these all the time back home?"

James nodded, picking his own handful and chewing them happily. "We pick them off the bushes by some of the quieter roads. They're really good for you too. There's a lot of vitamin or something in them. I'm not too sure."

"Okay," Kendall laughed, picking some more and placing them the small front pouch of his backpack. "Thanks for the tip, I'll remember it."

"Good."

They continued walking, exploring their surroundings. They went back towards the river for a while, the sun beating down on their heads as they drank from the clear water. Until James stuck a hand in and tossed a handful of water on top of Kendall. Kendall squealed in surprise, before using both his hands to fling water right back at the brunette. And they messed around for a while, splashing each other and laughing. For a bit, it seemed like there were no Careers, no dangers, no Games, just the two of them, out in the woods for a day.

Then reality came crashing back once they heard a cannon go off.

"Who do you think that was?" Kendall asked quietly, running a hand through his spiky and wet hair, looking down at the ground.

"I don't know. Could've been anyone."

"Maybe we should move . . ."

"Yeah, maybe."

It was getting to be late afternoon now, so Kendall decided to go back and check on the snare he'd set up.

"If you can copy what I did," he said as they walked. "You should have no problems catching food once we spit up."

James didn't want to hear about when they would split up, so he only nodded and smiled.

Kendall returned to the snare, grinning when he saw it had been a successful trap. He untied the rabbit and held it up. "See?"

"I see." James looked a little squeamish.

"What's wrong with you? You had no trouble plucking that bird yesterday."

"Yeah, but . . . that was different." Scratching behind his head, James at last admitted begrudgingly, "Birds aren't cuddly."

Kendall sniggered. Although there was something oddly endearing about this. He'd never thought of many animals as cute or cuddly; he hadn't let himself. He knew there'd be a sense of guilt when he had to kill them to keep his family healthy. So he just smiled and said, "Then you'd better stay clear when I skin it. I'll cook it tonight and wrap it up for tomorrow."

"Okay," James nodded, forcing a smile onto his face. Kendall just chuckled and moved on.

_"How do you think this is going to play out?" Kelly asked softly, watching the screen. Kendall and James no longer held its attention; but every few minutes or even seconds it would flicker back to them if nothing else terribly exciting was going on. They just fascinated the audience with this 'forbidden romance'. Though she couldn't see much romance there yet. At least not openly. "Their alliance, I mean."_

_Gustavo shrugged. "It could do them favours. It could tear them down."_

_"That's not a helpful answer!" she said shrilly._

_He just chuckled, sipping his beer. It wasn't supposed to be."_

_But of course, he hoped the odds would be in Kendall's favour._

_"Gustavo, look!"_

It was later in the day now; the last time Kendall had glanced up at the sky, he guessed it was around five or six in the evening. He and James found a clearing and built a fire, once again unafraid of the Careers seeing it. They would put it out when it got dark, anyway.

Kendall turned the bird over carefully on the spit, listening to the twigs cracking in the fire. He started when he suddenly felt James's hand on his arm, before wrapping around his shoulders. Kendall turned to gape at him, breath catching in his throat as James leaned close to him.

_Is he going to kiss me?!_

_Yes please, please do!_

Of course, Kendall had been kissed before. By Carlos. By Griffin a little, though he'd felt nothing in that incident. But this was so different; he could feel his cheeks turning pink every time James came closer by even a millimetre.

And then James's mouth moved towards his ear. Kendall felt the soft exhale as he whispered, "There's someone watching us. Three o'clock."

Kendall tried to pretend he hadn't been blushing and his eyes flickered in the direction James had told him. He spotted a small boot-clothed foot, behind a tree. There was a slight flicker of movement as a twig cracked between these tributes feet.

Kendall got to his feet, picking up his bow and drawing an arrow. "I can see you," he called determinedly. "Show yourself!"

The girl did, brushing a strand of curly dark hair behind her ear and grinning. Kendall grinned back, lowering his weapon. "Cam!"

"Hi," she replied, walking over. "Don't worry, I'm alone. Scout's honour. I smelt the cooking and got a bit curious." She chuckled. "I'm glad you and James are here and not the Careers. That'd be the end of me."

"You're telling me." Kendall sat back down beside James and Camille sat with him, without hesitating. It was one of the things he loved bout her.

He turned to glance at James. The brunette's eyes were focused on the campfire. He looked disinterested in anything the two of them were saying. So Kendall just decided to turn to Camille and say, "So how've you been? Seen anything interesting?"

"I've been walking around, mostly. Hiding, picking berries. Making my way." She gave him a warm smile, but he could see that she was starving. Her skin looked dry and pale, almost like paper. She looked tired.

Kendall turned the bird again, deciding he only needed to leave it on for another minute before it was cooked enough. "Do you wanna eat with us, Cam?"

"Is that fair? I didn't help catch anything."

"I certainly don't mind. Do you, James?"

"Nah. She can stay."

Kendall gave him a grateful smile, and the older boy's cheeks turned pink.

Kendall took the bird up, tearing chunks of the still burning hot meat off with his fingers and handing them to James and Camille. James dug into one of the legs, mumbling a thank you through a mouthful of the juicy meat. Before he ate his, Kendall picked up the skinned rabbit and arranged it on the spit, before tossing a bit more wood onto the fire and letting the new meat cook. It wasn't until he'd eaten half his portion of the meat that he spoke again. "Tell me, Cam. How do you feel about alliances?"

Camille's eyes lit up. "They're a clever way to get further in the Games. But obviously, it can only last a certain amount of time. There can only be so many players left before the alliance needs to seperate, and it becomes single players only again."

"I completely agree." He dug around in his pack and took out some berries, dropping some onto Camille's lap before eating what he had left in his hand. "So, suppose you were offered a position in an alliance of three. Would you be interested in taking it?"

She popped the berries into her mouth. "Hmm, I think I would." Camille pushed another thick strand of hair behind her hair. "I guess we can all offer each other different skills and knowledge."

"We definitely can. James has already taught me a lot." He turned to nudge James in the side. "Haven't you?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." James smiled at them at last, and Kendall smiled back warmly. "And he's taught me too. One more can't hurt."

"Great!" Kendall grinned at her. "We have a deal then." He turned the rabbit on the spit and left it to cook a bit more. They continued to eat in silence.

A while later, Camille was the first to speak up again. "I haven't had much meat at all since we got here," she moaned appreciatively, digging into her own piece. "The only time I got anything substantial was when I took it from the Careers."

"You managed to steal from the Careers?!" James gaped at her. "How?!"

"It wasn't that difficult. They were arguing at the time."

Kendall took a large gulp from his water container and offered some water to Camille, who didn't seem to have anything of the sort. She took it gratefully. "Thanks. I managed to get some stuff from the Cornucopia, but this wasn't one of them."

"Well, what did you get?" Kendall asked, suddenly noticing the small black pack on her back. He couldn't help smiling at the realisation that both of them had ignored Gustavo's word. Both had followed their gut. He'd always had a good feeling about her.

"A sleeping bag, a knife. Some crackers. But nothing to keep water in." She gave the container back to Kendall and ate more of her meat. Once she'd swallowed, she said, "The Careers have all the good stuff."

Kendall was surprised when James nodded in agreement. Then he remembered he was there when they killed Heather. "They've got it all down by the lake, in a huge pile."

"You never told me that."

"I didn't think it mattered. Does it matter?"

"Think about it." Kendall tossed the bones of what they'd eaten into the fire, listening them crackle. "There are six Careers left. They're all pretty tough and well-built, from a better background. I doubt they could survive on as little as we do. And it'd be difficult to catch or find enough food to keep them all happy." He smirked, biting his lip. "It's called the Hunger Games for a reason, right?"

Camille was starting to catch on, and was grinning in delight. James still looked slightly puzzled. "So, what do you plan to do? Go down to the lake and steal all their stuff?"

"Steal? I dunno, maybe. Or burn it. Eat it. Throw it in the lake. We'll see how well they cope without their little backup pile."

"I like it," James chuckled. "Finally, something useful to do instead of wandering around picking berries. So, let's make a plan . . ."

They planned their sneak attack out carefully, Kendall drawing a small map in the dirt by their feet for good measure, telling them where they needed to be. He brushed the map away with his foot when they were done and then got up to kick dirt over the dying fire, cutting up the cooked rabbit meat and wrapping it tightly in the sheet of plastic. "It's starting to get dark. I know there's three of us now, but I think it'd be better if nobody knew that."

"I'm with you on that one," Camille said, standing up and helping him put out the fire. James did the same, and when they were done they stood in the darkening clearing, packing up their things.

"I guess we should try and get some sleep," James said at last, glancing up at the trees. "Wanna try and find a good branch, Kendall?"

Kendall nodded, turning to Camille. "You'll be okay, right?"

Camille nodded. "I've been sleeping up there too, I'm used to it now." She found a tree on the other side of the clearing and climbed up with ease, disappearing beneath the leafy canopy.

Kendall and James found a suitable tree and climbed up to the branch they wanted and,repeated the complicated ritual of trying to manoeuvre their way into the sleeping bag without crashing down to the ground. "That went better than last time, anyway," James chuckled, lying on his side and making himself comfortable. Kendall nodded in agreement, snuggling closer to him and leaning his head on his shoulder, like the previous night. James's cheeks flushed. Maybe it was just because they didn't have a lot of space, and Kendall wanted to make sure they didn't fall. Yeah, that was probably it.

"Night," Kendall mumbled sleepily, eyes shut.

"Goodnight."

The last thing he heard and saw was the National Anthem playing and young Tyler's face appearing in the sky, before he fell asleep. Eleven tributes left.

* * *

><p>"I forgot how peaceful this place was."<p>

Logan and Carlos were walking through the woods, a good distance from the fence. Logan was hobbling alone on his cane, his other hand intertwined with Carlos's. It was dark out but for once they were unafraid. It was a good feeling.

In a sudden moment of impulse, Logan turned to Carlos and pulled him in for a hard kiss. Carlos kissed back eagerly, hands looped around Logan's waist and pulling him close. Logan gave a small moan in response, one hand looped around his neck.

He pulled back, breathless. "Carlos . . . how far do you wanna go with me?"

"Huh?" Carlos was too startled to come up with an answer. Though of course, he knew the answer. "I d-dunno . . ."

"Because I kind of, I mean . . ." Logan's cheeks were red but he looked earnest. "I want to, I know we haven't been together long but I just . . ."

"Shh." Carlos chuckled. "You're babbling."

"Sorry," Logan said softly. He smiled sweetly. "So . . ."

They kept walking, and Logan stopped when he same to a clearing that had a view of the district below them. Carlos recognised it immediately. "How about here . . .?"

"No. It's a little bit open out there," Carlos said quickly, leading him away from the clearing. "It gets really cold and windy. Not a good place to strip."

"Right, sorry," Logan laughed slightly nervously, limping after him. "I guess I'm not used to this. I haven't been in these woods in years."

"I know," Carlos replied softly.

They sat down under some trees and Carlos took his jacket, laying it out on the ground. Logan raised his eyebrows at him, smirking a little.

"What?" Carlos couldn't help smirking too. "It makes the ground more comfortable."

"I'm sure it does," Logan sniggered. He lay his cane down and pushed it aside, pulling Carlos down on top of him. He pulled him in for another kiss, and Carlos kissed back eagerly.

Their shirts were tugged off and tossed to the ground. Carlos wondered if they were gonna get dirty, then he decided he really didn't care. Logan's hands were opening his trousers and trying to tug them down. Carlos helped him and tossed them aside, before moving to Logan's. He saw a look of nervousness in the boy's eyes, but knew it wasn't because of sex. He just gave him a reassuring kiss and tugged the trousers down and off.

This was the first time Carlos had ever seen Logan's leg unclothed. His fingers lightly traced over the skin; it was scarred and slightly bumpy, lines visible where stitches and cuts may have been. His hand lightly brushed over it, fingers tracing the bumps and dents in his skin.

Logan's cheeks were pink. "I know it's not pretty . . ."

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be," Carlos replied honestly. "Really. I guess, even though I know it's impossible I was expecting it to still look torn up and nasty. Infected, even."

"No," Logan chuckled. "It's all good."

"Yeah, I see that . . ." Carlos's cheeks flushed, and he pulled Logan in for another kiss.

Logan kissed back eagerly, pulling Carlos to lie on top of him again, between his legs. "Come on." He smirked. "How much longer are you gonna wait?"

"Sorry," Carlos laughed, pressing light kisses to Logan's pale neck as he tugged the older boy's underwear off, before removing his own. He bit his lip, eye wandering down Logan's fully naked form. For a moment, a part of him felt weird, doing this. But he tried to ignore it and held out his fingers towards Logan's swollen lips. Logan opened his mouth and sucked on them, tongue wetting them as much as he could before Carlos pulled them out and traced them down his body.

"Have you done this before?" he asked.

Logan shook his head, biting his lip.

"Ever done anything vaguely similar?"

Another shake of his head. "Who wants to sleep with a guy that has a bad leg?" he sighed.

Scooting down, Carlos pressed a kiss to Logan's flat stomach and said softly, "I'll be gentle."

Sliding down a bit further, Carlos pressed the tip of his finger against Logan's entrance. But as he pushed in, he leaned down and pressed his tongue over the head of Logan's cock. Logan gave a shaky moan, of both pain and pleasure Carlos would've guessed. He started to stretch him as his mouth descended further on hs cock, hollowing his cheeks and sucking it to distract Logan from the pain.

Logan was moaning and whimpering, hips jutting down a little on Carlos's finger. So Carlos decided to push another one in, and then another. He'd always preferred to get it done quickly but as painlessly as possible.

Kendall had always agreed with him.

Pushy that thought aside, Carlos scissored his fingers and bobbed his head up and down on Logan's cock. Moaning loudly in the silence around them, Logan ran a hand through Carlos's hair and tugged on he dark strands, hips bucking up a little against his mouth. Then Carlos pulled off, chuckling at the glare Logan gave him. "Okay, you stopped way too soon."

"Only because I stretched you," Carlos chuckled, getting up on his knees. He scooted forward and lifted Logan's good leg around his waist. The other he held by the thigh, worried that if he tried to move it it might hurt Logan. "Now we actually have to fuck."

"Fuck me then," Logan retorted, though his cheeks had flushed again, and Carlos could tell he was both flustered and nervous. Cute shy Logan and his insecurities.

Lining himself up, Carlos slowly pushed inside. Logan's head fell back as he moaned loudly, eyes scrunching up. Carlos held his hip with one hand, the other still holding his thigh. "You okay so far?"

Logan nodded, smiling sweetly up at him. It made Carlos's heart pound in his chest. "You can keep going. I'm alright."

Carlos pulled back and thrust back in, hand gently caressing the skin of Logan's thigh to distract him from any pain he might feel in his leg. Then he repeated his action, sliding in and out of Logan's tight heat and moaning at the sensation. Logan was gasping, hands moving to grip Carlos's biceps. And then his shoulders, and he pulled him down for a rough kiss. Their tongues clashed as Carlos picked up the pace. His hips gyrated against Logan's, slamming in and out of him hard and fast. Logan was whimpering into Carlos's mouth, nails scratching down his back. Any other time Carlos would've protested. Now he felt too good to even notice.

"C-Carlos," Logan moaned shakily, eyes shut and mouth hanging open. "Oh god, _f-fuck_ . . ."

Carlos sped up, grunting as he gripped Logan's hip tighter. Sweat gathered at the back of his neck as he panted and moaned and kept going, slamming into Logan's prostate. Logan's fingernails dug hardly into his shoulders. He wrapped a shaky hand around Logan's cock, pumping it quickly and trying it keep in time with his thrusts. But it was difficult. He let out a loud, shaky moan as he came hard, filling Logan up and collapsing on top of him, panting. He felt something warm between their stomachs as Logan came too, whimpering and clinging onto him.

At last Carlos moved a little, glancing down at Logan. Logan was breathing heavily, looking up at him with bright eyes. He gave a shy smile and pulled Carlos down for a kiss. "That was good," he murmured softly when he pulled away, gazing up at Carlos with what could only be described as wonder in his eyes.

Carlos smiled back dow n at him. "Yeah. It was."

* * *

><p>They had built three green wood fires, all set up in different locations. Their plan was that Kendall and James would go down to the lake and destroy the supplies. They figured they might be safer and faster if there were two of them. Meanwhile, Camille was going to light the first fire to lure the Careers away. Then she would light the second fire, and then the third. They all knew that by the time the Careers reached the second fire, unless they were complete idiots, they were bound to know that something was up, and would return to check on their supplies. Kendall and James had to be gone by then.<p>

"Let's not try and rush back to our meeting place," Kendall said as they prepared to leave the clearing where they hoped to meet again when they had finished. He opened the plastic and divided the rabbit up between the three of them, nibbling on one of his own pieces for a bit of energy. They had some substantial walking to do. "If we do manage to destroy their stuff, they're gonna be pretty pissed off. We're better off staying spread out and separate until tomorrow. We can meet here in the afternoon."

Camille nodded in agreement. "What if one of us gets held up?"

"Let's use a signal," James suggested. "Like we used to do back home. Well, the kids did, working in the orchards. But I always heard it." James tilted his head up towards the trees and softly whistled a simple, four note tune. Instantly, the trees around them echoed with the chirps of the mockingjays.

"That's so cool," Camille whispered. She looked astounded.

Kendall grinned. "Okay. That's the signal for if me and James, or if you get delayed, but everything is okay. And you're on your way." He paused, trying to think of something suitable. "And if one of us is delayed because we need help, we can use this." And he sang out two notes; one low, one high. And the mockingjays repeated it.

"Perfect." James smiled. "We'll see you tomorrow, Cam."

Kendall and James made their way through the woods, quickly and quietly, their weapons raised and ready to fire if necessary. It was still early morning, and they could feel the damp chill of the air, even through their clothes. Soon the sun would be higher in the sky, and it would be brighter and warmer. That was roughly when they planned to begin their attack.

"So, where were you hiding when you saw Heather and Ozzie?" Kendall asked at last as the lake drew ever closer.

"This way. From here, let's stay silent." They crept along the undergrowth, past yet more trees and more bushes. Then James told Kendall to get down on his knees (which made them both blush, though neither of them realised) and they crawled the rest of the way, into a copse just at the edge of the plain where the lake was, along with the Cornucopia. They were well-hidden. And Kendall knew there was no way they could be seen by the Careers from here.

He saw the six of them, sitting by the lake. A good bit away from them, their supplies stood in a massive pyramid. It was strange. "Now we wait," he whispered. From where they were, they would be able to see Camille's second fire. Not the first one, but they'd be able to see when the Careers spotted it and took off.

Then Wayne jumped to his feet and shouted to the others, pointing into the trees. There was the fire. Picking up their weapons, they all ran off into the undergrowth, crashing through it. "Let's wait another minute or two," James said. "Just to make sure they're gone."

Kendall nodded, when he spotted some movement in the distant trees, on the other side of the clearing. Then someone sprinted out of the trees, nothing with her except the clothes on her back. It was Jennifer, the blonde one. Her hair was tied back from her face as she kept running, coming to a sudden stop a couple of feet away from the pyramid. "What's she doing?!" James hissed.

Jennifer was hopping back and forth on the ground, towards the pyramid. Very precise little hops and steps, wobbling a bit on her feet every now and then.

_"She's certainly figured out the trap, Deke! Very good!"_

_"Clever girl, now I wonder if our other two little tributes will . . ."_

Kendall watched as Jennifer snatched a couple of things from the various boxes of food, shoving them into her pockets. He had to admire how clever she was. He hadn't realised it before. Suddenly she glanced in their direction. She stood there for another second, before grabbing some kind of large plastic water container, which must have been full giving how heavy it seemed to be, and hopped back the way she'd come. To Kendall's surprise, she left the container on the ground, and ran back into the trees.

"That was strange," James said, crawling out into the clearing and standing up. Kendall followed him, and they walked over to the container. "Do you think she saw us?"

Kendall knelt down, opening the container. He gave a small sniff, and frowned. "Definitely." He stood up. "That's not water that's in there. It's oil. She wouldn't just take it and leave it here for no reason."

"So, she knows what we're planning to do?"

"Maybe not for sure, but she certainly made a good guess." Kendall picked up the container, and handed it to James. "So . . . what should we do? Set it on fire?"

"Sounds like a plan. But let's not get too close. There must be a booby trap of some sort. Though I have no idea what it is."

Kendall nodded, taking an arrow for his quiver. Then he decided that he needed two more. "So, what if we just pour some of the oil onto the stuff, and I fire in these three flaming arrows? It's bound to catch, and when it does it should spread easily enough."

James nodded, holding the container up carefully. He was walking around the pyramid, carful to keep the same perimeter around it as he'd seen Jennifer do. He tossed oil from the container at the pyramid, soaking some of the lower boxes as he did, and getting some of the highers ones too. When he deemed he'd done enough, he put the container down on the ground.

"I'm gonna need to wind something around the head of the arrows so they'll light," Kendall said. "Some grass or something."

"I'll do it!" James ran to the edge of the clearing and came back with long stalks of dry grass, some leaves from the nearby bushes, and thin twigs. "Give me the arrows. Come on, I can see Camille's second fire."

Kendall turned and saw he was right, quickly handing James the arrows. He watched in fascination as James wound the grass and leaves around the arrow heads, tying various little knots to make a bundle over each one. He must've been used to doing things like this. He handed one arrow back to Kendall, who lined it up and raised the bow. "The matches are in my pack," he instructed.

James got them and lit one, carefully setting light to the bundle. A small flame flickered over the tips. "Wait until it lights a little more," James said, putting the matches away. "So we can be sure it'll stay lit."

"I know," Kendall replied. He focused his attention on the pyramid. He raised the bow again, drawing back. He had his target chosen; a wooden box with a decent amount of oil sprinkled over it, as well as some surrounding containers. The best chance he'd get on this side. He could go around with the other two arrows.

He exhaled slowly, relaxing his muscles. And he released.


	12. Safe and Sound

**I have another note at the end of this chapter, only because I didn't want to give anything away :P so...enjoy.**

The arrow struck the wooden container, flames flickering instantly over the boxes and cartons. Kendall smiled in satisfaction, picking up another arrow. "Okay, let's move around a little." He followed James around to the other side of the pyramid, and Kendall lined up the arrow. James lit the bundle and stepped back.

There was fear in his voice as he said, "The Careers are probably almost at the second fire, we need to work faster."

"I've got it," Kendall said patiently, concentrating hard as he fired the arrow in. He quickly grabbed the matches from James and lit the third bundle, running to the other side of the pyramid, closer to the copse where they'd hidden, and fired it in. "There, done!" He stepped back to admire his work, hearing James speak on the other side, though he didn't catch what he said. The containers were cracking, strings burning up. He sighed a little, wishing gasoline had been available to them. Would've done the job a lot faster. He looked around to see if all was clear, and spotted something he hand,t noticed before. The metal platforms around the Cornucopia were still there, but with holes dug up all around them.

Why would somebody do that? There was nothing in the ground there, as far as he knew—

_Wait._

He let out a choked gasp, stumbling back. "James!"

"What?" James glanced at him from the other side of the pyramid. "What's wrong?"

"J-Jennifer," Kendall stuttered, eyes wide with fear as they focused on a burlap sack of apples hanging from one of the boxes. "She was hopping back and forth, a-and there are holes around the platforms dug up—"

"Kendall, what are you saying?!"

Kendall finally managed it as he saw the flames, finally, reaching the attachments of the burlap sack. "It's mined."

The string was breaking, wearing away. He staggered backwards, screamed, "RUN!" He didn't care who heard him. He saw James turning and sprinting off into the forest closer to him. Kendall turned around and did the same, just before the apples fell to the ground and he was thrown into the air.

_Simultaneous screams of horror echoed around the Knights' living room. Katie was hugging her mother, whimpering in fear as the Careers' supplies were blown sky high. It wasn't just, of course, the impact of the explosion that they worried about. It was the impact it would have on the Careers, and the rage it would cause. They'd be out for blood, for sure. Kendall's blood._

Kendall felt something warm and wet trickling down his cheek as he lay on the ground. At first, he thought he was crying. He shakily lifted a hand up to his cheek, pulling it back and trembling. Not tears; blood. He shakily got on his hands and knees and crawled towards the trees as quickly as he could manage. There was an unbearable ringing in his ears, and he wondered if he'd gone deaf, or if he had a concussion. Oh god, oh god, he could hear people thundering through the trees . . .

He collapsed into the copse just as the Careers arrived on the plain, only to find their supplies in burnt tatters on the ground. Kendall shut his eyes and tried not to think about what they would do if they found him. It was better he just stay still and stay quiet. He thought of James instead, and hoped he was hiding somewhere safe. He also hoped that Camille, having heard the explosion, had taken shelter somewhere too.

He suddenly thought of Jennifer, how she'd left the oil there for them so they could light the supplies. Wayne and Stephanie were from District 3; they knew the technology and how it worked, so she must've seen them set the trap. She knew how to get through, she knew what would happen if she lost her balance. She'd known that if he and James had been standing there when the apples fell, they would've blown up just like the rest of it.

So, she'd planned to have their supplies destroyed, and add two dead tributes on for good measure. Very, very smart. He knew now, however, that he pitied anyone in an alliance with her. They'd probably end up with a knife through their back. If she did have an alliance with someone though, he imagined it would be the other Jennifer. It was just fitting to him. Where were the other tributes?

Though, excluding the five Careers that were left, and himself and James and Camille, and the Jennifers, that only left Alexander. Or Guitar Dude, as he liked to be called. He hadn't seen him at all. He decided that, if he made it back to James and Camille, that he'd ask them if they knew anything.

God, his head really hurt. His ears were still ringing, but he noticed, it was more his right ear, where the blood had come from. He tried not to think about the probably lasting damage and snuggled down further into the leaves. He hoped James wouldn't be too cold, as he took out his sleeping bag and wrapped it around his body, too tired to crawl inside of it, even on the ground. He knew the Careers were going into the woods to hunt. He could hear them crashing in the distance. They would probably have more success in the darkness. He passed out before he could think about it anymore.

* * *

><p>When Kendall woke up, he had no idea what time it was. But the sun, even in the shade of the trees, hurt his eyes. It must've been close to noon, early afternoon maybe. He rolled over in the copse, reaching a hand up to push his hair off his sweaty forehead. The faint rustle it caused, he only heard in one ear; his left one. He heard nothing in the right. But as he touched off the dried blood on his face, he sighed in relief that the bleeding had stopped.<p>

He started when he heard a laugh out on the plain and looked through the bushes. He'd been right about the alliance; Jennifer from District 6 and Jennifer from 7 were standing in the rubble of the pyramid, holding a few items between them that they'd managed to scavenge. Very clever indeed. He wondered if they knew he and James were alive. Or at least, that he was alive. He worried about James, and Camille too. He hadn't looked for it, but he was almost positive that third fire had never been lit.

As the Jennifers ran off into the trees, Kendall packed up his sleeping bag and got up, taking the water container from his backpack and gulping down what was left in it and eating the rabbit meat that he'd brought with him as he stood up and began his walk back to the clearing. He headed towards where he knew there was a pond first, and washed the blood from his cheek and ear. It was clear now that his hearing in that ear was completely gone; he heard no splashes when he washed it. He sighed, getting up and continuing his journey.

The whole time, he kept his eyes and ears (well, ear) open. The image that came to mind was Wayne crashing through the trees, bellowing and beating his chest like a gorilla. It would be funny if that gorilla wasn't out to rip him to pieces. Maybe he'd already chopped James up with that sword of his . . .

If James was okay, surely he would've sent out the signal. So maybe he wasn't in a state to be whistling.

He decided then, that he should send out the signal himself. Kendall took a deep breath and tiled his head up, whistling out James' four-note tune. The mockingjays repeated his tune and carried it throughout the woods. He leaned his back against a tree to catch his breath. Was anyone in the clearing already?

He froze when he heard a loud trill from the trees. Two notes, one low, one high. He straightened up immediately and grabbed an arrow, looking around. That was when he heard the scream. A girl's scream. Camille's voice. His name.

Kendall sprinted off towards where he heard the scream, heart hammering against his chest. Where was she, all these trees looked the same!

_No, it's this way . . . I think . . . _

He heard another scream and pushed his legs to go faster. He burst into the clearing with twigs and ivy vines pulling at his arms and legs. He stumbled on the rough ground, eyes focusing on where Jett stood on the other side of the clearing, staring at him with wide eyes. Camille lay by his feet, tangled in a net. Her eyes met his and she opened her mouth, maybe to call him for help again. But her scream faded out into a weak gasp when Jett raised his spear, jaw clenched, and plunged it into her stomach. Kendall screamed instead, but with rage coursing through his body, like fire. Then Jett dropped to the ground as Kendall's arrow stuck in the centre of his chest.

The cannon went off.

Kendall ran towards Camille, collapsing to his knees next to her and taking out his knife, cutting the net off. "Oh god, Camille . . ."

She only shivered, hands trying to grasp the spear protruding from her stomach. "K-Kendall . . ."

"I-I can't take it out," Kendall choked, hands gripping the net in his hands. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry . . ." But he wasn't sorry for the spear. He should've run faster, he should've been there in time.

Somehow Camille pried the net from his hands and held them instead. "Hey," she whispered, skin pure white, almost grey, against her dark hair. "Better you than me . . ." She coughed, her hold on his hand weakening. But he held it back, trembling hard. She was dying, there was no hiding it. And it hurt, it hurt more than he could ever imagine. He knew this time, what dripped down his cheek wasn't blood.

"I heard the explosion," she whispered.

"I blew it up," Kendall reassured her, gripping her hand tighter. He wished he could comfort her, could tell her she would be okay. But of course, he wasn't a liar. He couldn't. "I blew it all up, they've got nothing left but what they had on their backs."

"Good." She gave a weak smile. "Win . . . you have to win."

"If I do, it'll be for the both of us," he promised. "I'm not going to forget that."

Her voice was so quiet, he barely heard her as she said, "Can you sing?"

Kendall wasn't sure what to say. "I . . . what?"

"I . . . I always heard you sing in school . . ."

"Oh. Y-yeah, I can sing." Kendall wracked his brains for a song he knew, that he could sing. He couldn't think straight. All he could see was the dark red stain spreading through Camille's shirt. The only time he'd seen anything close to this much blood was Logan's accident . . .

Logan used to sing him to sleep all the time, he remembered a lullaby he'd always loved. He gently lifted Camille's upper body onto his lap, brushing her dark curls from her face. Their eyes locked, Kendall swallowed, and began to sing softly.

_"I remember tears streaming down your face, when I said I'll never let you go,_

_When all those shadows almost killed your light,_

_I remember you said don't leave me here alone,_

_But all that'd dead and gone and passed tonight . . ."_

Camille smiled at him, thumb stroking the back of his hand, like she knew the song. Her lips twitched slightly as she tried to mouth the words.

_"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down,_

_You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now,_

_Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound,_

_So don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire ~"_

He had to stop, using his free hand to wipe the tears from his cheek, before going back to stroking Camille's hair in an attempt to soothe her. Her eyes were shut, but he could see the faint rising of her chest. He gulped and kept singing, determined to finish what he knew.

_"The war outside our door keeps raging on,_

_Hold onto this lullaby, even when the music's gone,_

_Just close your eyes, the sun is gong down,_

_You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now,_

_Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound . . ."_

His voice dissolved into a sob, and he quickly covered his mouth to muffle it. But she didn't hear anyway; her chest was still. The cannon went off, but it didn't sound real. He released her hand, and it dropped to the ground. He rested her head back in the shrubs, leaning down to press his lips to her forehead. As he knelt up again, he finally noticed that the mockingjays were singing too. Just the chorus, and it was one of the eeriest things he'd ever heard.

He stood up shakily, looking at the bodies at his feet. He stared at Jett, who in death, didn't look like a Career. Just a boy, like him. And Camille, so vulnerable and sweet and kind . . .

His fists clenched in pure rage. His eyes rested on the trees at the edge of the clearing, where he saw clusters of wildflowers and weeds. But the flowers were beautiful, the kind he'd grown up picking in the meadow with his brother and sister. They meant something to him, and he knew they meant something to Camille too. He ran to pick them, before the bodies could be taken.

He decorated Camille's body in the blue, white and purple flowers, around her wound and woven through her hair. When he sat up, he had one blue flower

left in his hand. Like the one James had been playing with. He crawled the couple of feet to Jett's body, and carefully placed it though the top button hole of his shirt. Even he deserved some respect to be paid to him. The Capitol would certainly show none.

As he turned to leave the clearing, he heard the hovercraft above his head. Only as he stood at the edge of the trees, did he look back.

"Goodbye, Camille," he said softly. He pressed the three middle fingers of his left hand to his lips and held them out towards her body, before turning and letting the hovercraft take her away.

What he didn't realise was that he wasn't the only one.

All across District 12, three fingers pressed to the lips of mourning citizens, hands rising up in memory of Camille. And slowly, as if in a trance, the people of District 12 left the square, walking away towards their homes, closing the shutters after them. The Peacekeepers did nothing to stop them.

In District 11, heads bowed in sorrow, for even they understood the loss that had fallen on the Games. Never would the Gamemakers be forgiven for what they had done. District 10 stood in silence, hatred radiating through the streets of their city. Districts 9, 8 and 7, watching and waiting. 6 and 5, holding their hands together and praying for the end. Some in the Capitol wept over the loss of a beautiful tribute, while others cheered because the air was getting thicker with the bloodlust of a tribute on fire.

And in Distrcit 1, a woman sat by her fireplace, grey eyes focused hard on her tv screen. And she thanked all she'd ever believed in that her daughter could be a part of this.

Rebellion was building up in Panem, rumbling like a distant storm. The only question was, who would be the first to strike?

**Musical Score: Rue's Farewell (recommended, seriously)**

**Kendall's song (Safe and Sound, THG soundtrack - Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars**


	13. The Cave

**Hiatus is over, thanks for waiting! :) Now, I have an important question for you guys. Do you want this story to continue after the games? I don't plan on writing a trilogy like I originally planned to do the same way as the books. It'd just be a longer story than I first planned, but with some stuff after the games, a resolution as such :) if you guys want that I'll keep going after the games, if not it'll end then. I just need to know now. Anyways enjoy!**

He felt numb.

He felt numb, but was sure that the pain would return soon enough.

Suddenly there was a crash in the clearing behind him. Kendall spun around, eyes wide and chest heaving and bow loaded, ready. But he immediately dropped his arms when he saw it was only James. "Oh." Then he gasped, eyes widening. _"James!"_

James was leaning against a tree, panting. He looked exhausted, his face white against his dark hair. There was a large rip in his left trouser leg, below the knee. The surrounding fabric was soaked in blood. "Wayne's sword," James rasped, trembling as Kendall ran over to him. "B-but he was the only one there . . ."

"How'd you get away?" Kendall couldn't help asking in wonder and admiration, looping a hand around James' waist. "Here, put your arm around my shoulders."

James gave a weak chuckle. "I hit him over the head. I-I don't even know myself." Then his face scrunched up and he let out a whimper as Kendall took a step forward and tried to guide him in that direction. "K-Kendall, it hurts . . ."

"I know, I'm sorry." James' whines and gasps of pain sent cracks through Kendall's heart. But he gritted his teeth and kept walking at a slow pace, James limping along beside him. He took out his knife and held it in his free hand, keeping his eyes and ears open. "So, what happened?" James asked suddenly, looking down t him. "You look kind of shell-shocked."

Kendall bit his lip hard, shutting his eyes before opening them again and saying, "I'll tell you later, alright?" He didn't think he could manage to mention Camille without growing weak again. He didn't want to be on foot for it. "Now be my lookout, okay? We're going to the river."

They wore on; Kendall knew the way from the last time he and James had been there. When the trees started to spread out more and the ground turned to rock beneath his feet, he began to walk slower and quieter. It was difficult for James to do the same. Kendall could hear the brunet panting harshly in his ear. They reached the river, but Kendall led James down the bank until there was a relatively flat seating place behind some rocks, but still with good access to the water. He helped James to sit down and the brunet slumped back against the biggest rock, sighing and shutting his eyes. "So." He opened them again. "I know you're upset about something. Please tell me."

That tone of sympathy and affection in his voice was what made Kendall, for a moment, almost forget what he was upset about. He felt his skin tingling and his heart beating faster, but then he remembered and the air around James stopped sparkling. "Camille is dead," he said softly, turning away to take his pack off his back and open it up. "Jett killed her. I killed him."

"Oh, Kendall."

"It's fine. It was bound to happen sometime." Kendall's lip trembled.

"Come here," James asked, holding his arms out.

"But I have to—"

"Just for a minute. Come on."

So Kendall did, slumping into James' arms and feeling the older boy hug him close. His cheek pressed up against James' chest, he could feel his heart beating very fast. But this was nice, being cuddled. He let his arms loop very lightly around James and hugged him back, instantly feeling warmer and more secure. Oddly, and selfishly too, to his disgust . . . this was the moment so far when he most wished the Games didn't exist. He didn't want this moment to end, or for it to be somewhat destroyed by that constant need for them both to be on the lookout for danger that might invade their small private space.

Kendall pulled out of his arms. "Okay. Um . . . take off your pants."

James raised his eyebrows, smirking. "Ooh, blondie."

"James." Kendall rolled his eyes, chuckling a little as he pulled off James' shoes and socks. He looked back up at him, giving an exaggerated wink and bat of his eyelashes. "If it helps, I can take them off for you."

"I'd prefer that actually. It hurts to move."

Kendall's face flushed. But he swallowed and nodded, before scooting forward and reaching under the hem of James' jacket, finding the button of his trousers and opening it. "Um, lift your hips," Kendall requested weakly. James did as he asked and Kendall slid his pants down his tanned and toned legs, tugging them off at his ankles and leaving them by his shoes and socks. For a second his eyes were trained on the brunet's underwear, down to his thighs. Then his eyes slipped down to James' calf, and he had to stop himself from gagging. The wound was gaping, blood trickling down his leg and over his foot. Thankfully, Kendall couldn't see any bone and knew Wayne hadn't gone very deep. It just needed to be cleaned, and bandaged. He could handle that. He tried not to think about what would happen if it were to get infected.

"Come with me," Kendall said to James, reaching out and holding his arm. "Just scoot yourself down to the water so I can wash your leg, okay?"

James groaned, but did as he asked, scooting down on his butt off the rock and down the bank. He stopped when his leg lay at the edge of the water and slumped back again, letting out a tired sigh. He was very pale. Kendall reached into his bag and took out what he had left of his crackers and beef strips and handed them to James. "Eat some of these."

"But I . . ."

"Shush," Kendall snapped, glaring at him. Then he sighed, trying to be more gentle with his tone, even though anything milder than anger threatened to make him cry. "Just, please eat . . . I have to work on your leg."

James did, nodding and smiling at him gratefully.

Kendall filled up his container with water, and poured it over James' wound. Watery blood dropped down his leg and onto the mud below him, sliding down the bank and turning the water at the edge a dark sickly red. Kendall kept going, pouring bottle after bottle over it. It still bled now, just not as strongly as it seemed to have when he was first struck. "Have you got any of those leaves left?" Kendall asked him. "The ones you used to help the infection in my hands?"

James nodded and Kendall picked up his small pack, opening it up and fishing some out. He placed them beside him as he knelt at the edge of the water, his knees dampening. He continued to wash James' leg, until the blood was gone. Then he took some of the green leaves, spat on them and rubbed the together as James had done, before pressing them firmly over his wound. "I'll need you to hold them there," he requested after hearing James' weak moan of relief. "Can you do that?"

Kendall kept his eyes and ears open as he turned his back to James, picking up his trousers to try and wash the blood from them. It was difficult; he gritted his teeth as he scrubbed the fabric together and saw some of the blood coming away. "Kendall, I don't really care that much if my pants are clean," James pointed out at last, hands still firmly over the leaves on his leg, even if it stung to touch it.

"I don't want the smell to be too strong," Kendall told him bluntly. He laid James' trousers out on a rock so they could dry in the afternoon sun. He hoped there'd be enough left for that. "Okay, take the leaves off your leg." James did, and Kendall was satisfied to see that there didn't seem to be any kind of infection in his leg. He took the leaves and tossed them into the water. "I haven't got any bandages . . ." He sighed. Then he took off his jacket and his shirt, before grabbing his knife and cutting a slit in the fabric.

"What are you . . .?"

He ripped, a large strip of fabric from the bottom of his shirt hanging in his hand. "There." He slipped the shirt back on, and it stopped at his navel, leaving his lips and lower stomach exposed. He decided he didn't care. "If I don't have enough, the rest can come from your shirt."

James just nodded, staring at him with a kind of mesmerised face. Kendall wrapped his homemade bandage tightly around James' leg and tied it firmly. "It'd be great if we had a first-aid kit, but it can't be helped."

"Thank you for helping me," James said suddenly, taking Kendall's hand in his. "I'd be dead without you."

"It's just a gash . . ."

"No, with everything. I . . ." James blushed, looking at the ground. Kendall took this opportunity to slip his hand from James'. He liked holding James' hand, but he couldn't help the shyness he felt and the way it weakened every part of his body and turned him into such a child.

When evening came, Kendall realised that he nodded to find somewhere for them to sleep. He packed everything up, folding James' trousers and stuffing them into his bag. It was better that James left his leg out for now.

"Stay hidden," Kendall instructed to James, glancing up at the darkening sky. "I'm gonna find some place for us to sleep; you can't climb a tree with that leg."

James nodded and slid backward slowly, hiding under an outcrop of rock and tucking his legs in. With the sun setting, he was barely visible. Kendall nodded to him and gave a reassuring smile. "I'll come back when I've found something."

Then James just said quietly, in a dull tone, "What if you don't come back?"

It was almost angry; Kendall was taken aback by it. But instead he just replied shortly, "Then don't come out." And he turned and climbed up over the rocks, taking out his bow and loading it with an arrow once he'd secured his footing. He walked along the bank, keeping a sharp eye on the woods on either side of him. Maybe he could find a hollow. This feeling of being exposed under the impending darkness, on the ground where anything could get him, made his hands quake with fear. But he tried not to show it in his expression, knowing that as usual, the cameras were watching.

He'd been walking for about twenty minutes when he stopped, giving a tired sigh. It was much darker now, the sky a dark murky blue with just a last tinge of red where the sun continued to set. He could see the odd star here and there; soon it would be too dark to see anything clearly, and the images of Camille and Jett would appear in the sky. He leaned back against some rock to take a breather. His hand slid along the plants clinging to the stone, when it suddenly slipped through them. He stared and jumped back a little, looking closer at the rock. Then he reached out again. A large portion of the vines and plants weren't clinging, as he'd thought. They were hanging. It was a cave. He pushed the plants aside briefly and walked in. It was dark of course, but he could see that there were no signs of anyone having slept here. Nobody could find it unless they were looking for it. He jumped out of the cave and slipped the plants back into place, befor hurrying back the way he came. He could remember where it was, he told himself. He certainly could.

He soon found himself back where he and James had sat, the sky even darker still. He held his bow high, before calling out in a tiny whisper," James? I'm back." He crept slowly along the rock, closer to the water. "James?" he hissed, looking around. "James!"

"Kendall."

Kendall spun around, seeing James limp the couple of steps towards him. He gave a relieved smile. "Oh, good. I was worried there for a—"

Then James' hands crept around his waist, tugging Kendall forward so their chests collided. Kendall choked out a breath at the weak impact, and then James' lips were on his.

Kendall gasped against James' mouth, frozen on the spot. James' lips were warm, and soft. He could practically hear the screeches and cheers of Captiol citizens. He could see Logan shaking his head, and Katie laughing. He couldn't see anything in Carlos' expression. But he chose to ignore them all, and kissed James back. Instantly the brunet held him tighter, tilting his head and kissing him with passion and heat, but with a sweetness he'd never experienced before. He felt his knees shaking, cheeks hot and lips trembling as he tried to keep up.

Then James pulled away and ended it as quickly as it had started. He gave a shy smile, teeth shining agains the darkness of his face. "So, show me what you found?"

Kendall had to walk ahead, eyes focused on their surroundings so his attention was diverted from where James limped along behind him. It was a slow process and was wasting time, and Kendall knew this. Eventually he sighed to himself, put his bow away and took out his knife, and began leading James along again. His arm felt heavy and strong over his shoulders. And protective, even though Kendall was the one offering support here. They reached the cave and James collapsed onto the ground inside, sitting back against the rock with an exhausted sigh. Kendall followed him and sat down. It was very dark, but he could just make out James' face. It was coming closer again.

"Wait," Kendall whispered, leaning away. "I don't think . . . I mean, I . . ."

"I'm sorry." James looked embarrassed. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it's not that! It's," Kendall bit his lip, wondering how to start this. "You didn't seem upset, when Camille died."

"Huh?"

"You weren't that upset."

"Well, yeah. I didn't know her very well. If course it's sad, but . . ."

"But I thought you really liked her?"

"I didn't know her well enough, what's up with you?"

"She was your crush!" Kendall snapped, forgetting to be quiet. "Your incredible person that you like and talked to and love at first sight, you said so at the interview!"

"The interview . . . oh." James shook his head, giving a nervous chuckle. "Kendall, you've got it all wrong."

"I do not!"

"You do! I've never talked to Camille alone, not once. Only you."

"But, you . . ."

"Kendall." James grasped his shoulders tightly, looking him right in the eyes. Kendall was startled by the determination in his face. "I was taking about you."

Kendall's breath caught in his throat. "M-me?"

"Yes. God, you're slow to catch on." James gave a weary shake of his head, laughing. "I was so sure you knew, it's not like I made a huge effort to hide it."

Kendall thought back to the blue flower in his hair. And to James' squeaky reaction to them sharing a sleeping bag. The way James' eyes had slid down his half naked body so slowly, as though trying to suck up every detail into his memory . . .

"I got jealous," was all he could get out at first, voice weak and fragile. He hated himself for it. "I just, I assumed it wouldn't be me, I mean why would it?"

"You're adorable. As if it'd be anybody else." Kendall barely noticed James going to wrap his arms around him until they were there, holding him in place and keeping him safe. The roof could've collapsed on top of them, and he would've still felt somewhat secure. "Do you remember the fire?"

"Of course."

"You woke up by a pond."

"How do you know . . .?"

"Because I carried you there, so when you woke up you'd be near water. I saw Jo coming after you, and you fainting. I killed her."

He remembered the cannon going off before he collapsed. How he'd naturally assumed the smoke or flames had killed Jo. Kendall stared at James, who looked embarrassed, but also proud of what he'd done. He wouldn't go back and change it, even if he could have died in that fire.

Kendall had no idea what kind of noise he let slip. It sounded a little like a whimper, but he'd never in any circumstances admit it to anyone. He just lunged forward, slowly but with a hastiness in his actions. He threw his leg over James' waist so he was on top of him, and kissed him sloppily.

A few minutes later the sound of the anthem began to play and he pulled back, breathless, cheeks red, body trembling over the older boy's. James held him close, head resting on his head. Kendall felt his uneven breathing brush against his bangs, his hair fluttering. "I can't believe this is happening," James said numbly. "I mean, this isn't how I pictured things would go at all."

"How did you picture it?" Kendall asked softly, smiling to himself as he snuggled against James' chest.

"Well, I didn't picture you returning my feelings, for one thing. I thought I'd just keep it inside of me until something happened that got me killed, and my secret died with me."

Kendall's hands instinctively tightened their grip on James' jacket. "I don't want you to die."

"And I don't want you to die."

That was when Kendall saw the problem. But he couldn't bring himself to say it just yet. He was too happy, too comfortable.

Too love struck, maybe.

They spent the night with the sleeping bag only loosely wrapped around them, Kendall giving his folded up jacket to James as a pillow, and using James' chest as his own. He would've loved to say that it was the best he'd ever slept. But the dark corner of his mind reminding him of where they were bothered him too much.

_Gustavo smiled, graciously thanking the next weeping Capitol citizen who handed him a cheque. The sponsorship money was building up, and he already knew exactly how to spend it. He had enough for both of his aims. One, to keep Kendall safe and make sure that the alliance ended in a good manner. And two, to keep them safe in that cave a long as possible, sucking face and making the viewers sob buckets. _

Kendall crawled carefully out from under the plants, glancing left and right but seeing nobody around. He imagined that at this time, the Careers were probably rubbing their bellies and grumbling over their missing breakfast. He crawled out further and picked up the source or the two clangs they'd heard from inside the cave; too metal tins from the sponsors. Kendall glanced at the note Gustavo had left him:

_Keep those lips working, little dog. - G_

Kendall rolled his eyes, lifting up the tins and going back into the cave. James sat up sleepily, blinking at him. "Gifts?" he mumbled, dazed but seeming somewhat excited. "What are they?"

Kendall handed James the water and opened up the first tin as he took a few gulps. Inside it was a container, that when he opened, the strong smell of cheese wafted out and made his stomach grumble. "Bread and cheese in this one." He opened the second. "Some bandages and medicine in this one. Must be for you."

He took a piece of the bread and ate it quickly, groaning at the taste. "Oh, good food. I've missed you so much. "He held the container out to James. "Come on, you need to eat too."

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry . . ."

Kendall sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll take care of your leg then."

James stretched his bare leg out obediently and Kendall unwrapped his shirt strip from around it. The wound looked as awful as the day before; the only difference was that blood didn't flow from it freely anymore. Though there was a sickly kind of smell in the air, and he didn't understand how it had come so quickly. The only thing in the second tin besides the bandages was a bottle of medicine and a needle. He read the label and grinned, immediately sliding the needle through the cap of the bottle and pushing own. "It says this'll clear up your wound in no time. Some new fancy shit they only sell in the Capitol."

"Must be nice for them," James said, glancing fearfully at the needle. "But I'm not so sure."

"Come on." Kendall grinned at him. "If you let me give you your medicine, you get a kiss."

"I thought it was a given I'd get those."

"Not until you get your medicine."

James sighed, covering his eyes and sitting back. "Do it quickly."

Kendall did. James yelped in pain and as soon as Kendall removed the needle and bandaged his leg up eight he rest of the gift, James tried to kick out weakly at him. "Hey, it's okay," Kendall laughed, crawling over to him and pecking his cheek. "There, see? All better."

James growled and grabbed hold of him, pulling Kendall onto his lap again and muffling his laughter with another kiss.

Unfortunately, the comfort eventually had to be ruined. "I didn't want to be the one of us to say this," Kendall said at last. "But I have to."

"What is it?" James asked quietly, arms wrapped around him.

"We can't stay like this," Kendall replied, trying to show in his tone that this was his firm belief. That he wasn't utterly miserable at the thought of it. "We can't stay together in this alliance, there are too little tributes left. What if we end up as the last two?"

James looked devastated. "I guess that's a good point . . ."

"I do want to stay together," Kendall said quickly, holding his hand. "Really, I do. But I don't want either of us to be put through that. So, when you're well enough to walk better, I think we should split up."

"You're right," James sighed, leaning back against the cave wall. "It's better that way, I guess. Hopefully in a day or two I'll be a little better. Either way I'm not letting it slip past three days."

"Good." Kendall bit his lip, looking up at him. "I'm sorry, Jamie."

James' cheeks flushed, and Kendall realised it was the first time he'd called him that. He blushed too. "I'm sorry too," James said quietly, kissing his forehead. Kendall tilted his head up and kissed him on the lips. He only let it last a second or two before pulling back, and reaching for the pot of food. "Now come on, you've gotta eat to get your strength up."

"I'm still not that hungry."

"Well, I'm not giving you a choice." Kendall opened the container and ripped a chunk off the bread inside. "Come on, open up."

Kendall fed James bread and cheese and had him drink some water. His face lost that pale gaunt look it had had when he first came to Kendall with his injury. It was amazing what such a small remedy could do.

The cannon went off some time during the afternoon, but all Kendall could fell was James' mouth hot against his, their breath clashing and their hands in each others' hair. For now they were in their own small safe world, where nobody could touch them.

* * *

><p>Logan was trying to walk angrily, Carlos could see that. But of course, with a limp, he didn't look even mildly threatening. Logan had stormed out of the house right after the curly-haired Jennifer went down with a knife in her back, and the cameras went right back to Kendall and James in their secret hideaway. Every sound and gesture they made could be heard. Logan wasn't happy with it.<p>

"It's not so bad!" Carlos argued as they walked. "Come on, he's being sensible about the whole thing, right?"

"That whole thing shouldn't even be happening!" Logan grumbled. "He's fifteen!"

"Plenty of fifteen year olds have done much more than just kiss a boy." Kendall being one of them, though of course Carlos couldn't tell him that.

"Yeah, I know." The cold hatred appeared in Logan's face again, before vanishing the blink of an eye. "I'm just worried about him."

"Obviously."

"I'm being stupid, I know. I know that James kid wouldn't hurt Kendall. If he wanted to he could've let Jo kill him."

"Exactly." Carlos grinned at him. "Wanna go to the woods?"

Logan nodded. "There's something I want to show you, actually. I'll lead the way when we get in."

The two slipped under the fence and walked off into the trees, Carlos holding Logan's free hand firmly in his. "It's this way," Logan told him, turning a little left and walking on. "Now, you have to promise you won't how anybody this place. Kendall and I used to go there with our father when we were young, and I know he hasn't told a soul."

"Well, who would he have to tell?"

"You. But judging by your face I'm guessing he hasn't."

"Nope. But I respect that. I guess nobody has to tell somebody absolutely everything about them . . ." I don't have to tell you I had sex with your brother on numerous occasions, and you don't have to tell me what gets you so angry every time sex is brought up.

They walked in silence for a while, further than Carlos had ever gone, in completely unfamiliar territory. Then suddenly the trees began to spread out wider, the ground began to clear beneath their feet, and they reached a large pond. The ground around it was grassy and muddy, the water almost completely still. A small wooden hut, only about the size of his bedroom at home, was beside it. "You used to come here?" He looked around in awe, a feeling of nostalgia and sorrow coming over him. He missed his own father, just as he was sure Logan missed coming here with his.

"Yeah, we'd go swimming all the time." Logan gave a slight chuckle. "Dad always used to throw Kendall in, pretending to leave him behind. He never got tired of it though, same joke every time. He's a good swimmer."

"What about you?"

"I was too."

Carlos sighed, wrapping an arm around Logan's thin body. When Logan turned to look at him, Carlos kissed him gently. "Wanna go see what's in the hut now?" he suggested, giving a wink and a smirk. Logan laughed, nodding and letting Carlos lead him towards the hut.

Carlos pressed Logan against it lightly, the older boy's cheeks flushing. But he grinned and kissed Carlos with this new confidence that only ever seemed to come out when they were together. Carlos tugged him from the door again, chuckling, and opened it up. They both froze, standing in the doorway.

The hut was dimly lit, even with light from the doorway adding to the shine from the only window. There was a tiny little hearth there, full of old burnt wood, and a long wooden bench. No other furniture. But there were two people sitting on the bench, huddled together and looking up at them in fright. Then one of them, her hands shaking, pulled out a gun from under her massive coat. Carlos stumbled backwards and away from the door, trying to pull Logan with him. But Logan gripped the doorframe and stayed. "Don't shoot," he said to them, keeping his tone soft and gentle. "We won't hurt you."

The woman looked up at him doubtfully.

"I'm Logan," he continued, smiling sweetly. "And that's Carlos. Look. Why don't you just come out and we can talk?"

The woman said nothing. But the young girl next to her, who only looked to be a little younger than Kendall, turned to the woman. "Casey! Don't you recognise him? That's Logan Knight!"

Logan was about to ask how on earth they knew him, but then he remembered that his name and face had been broadcasted on national television. "Yeah, that's me. Kendall's brother."

"I'm Samantha, and she's Casey." Samantha pulled Casey to her feet, and at last the older woman reluctantly put her gun away. Samantha tugged her outside of the hut to stand with Logan and Carlos. "Come on, we can trust him." She then turned back to Logan. "We're from Eleven."

Logan frowned, Carlos moving to stand with him again. "What are you doing here then?"

Samantha bit her lip, face immediately drooping mournfully. She turned to Casey, who spoke up at last. Her voice was gravelly and a little hoarse. "I used to work in a warehouse, packing grain up for storage. Until, well, yesterday."

"What happened?"

"The warehouse was blown up." She clamped her mouth shut in a tight line before adding, "As far as I know, I'm the only survivor."

Logan asked, horrified. "But why would anyone do that?!"

"Because of the song," Samantha spoke up, a quiet eagerness in her otherwise tranquil expression. "The song Kendall sang to Camille when she died."

"The . . . oh, that lullaby. Our dad taught that to us when we were little, I used to sing it to Kendall after the mining accident." Logan's brain furiously worked and tried to fit the pieces of this strange puzzle together. "So what's that got to do with anything?"

"People in Eleven broke out," Casey told him and Carlos, arm around Samantha's lithe frame. "There was a riot in the square, when Kendall told James what happened to her. People just started throwing things and the Peacekeepers fought back, there were guns everywhere . . . I went back to work in the warehouse and tried to act like it was none of my business, they didn't catch me. But in the middle of the night shift, the place blew up. The Keepers must've done it."

"Casey's my auntie," Samantha spoke up again, more forlornly. "My parents died."

"I'm sorry to hear that," was all Carlos could say, finally coming out of his numb shock enough to join in. "So, are you trying to blend in here?"

"No, no." Casey chuckled, shaking her head. "We're going to District Thirteen."

Such a causal manner, and yet such a completely ridiculous thing to say. Carlos shook his head. "Discrict Thirteen is destroyed, there's nothing to go to."

"No, that's not true. We've heard rumours."

"Rumours mean nothing."

"Again, not true. Things are changing, kid. It took two kids from the same Disrtict holding each other as the other died for it to escalate, god knows why. But it's different now. People want Kendall to win, and they want James by his side. The Capitol's freaking out over that romance they've got together. People are angry."

"But why is it happening now?"

Casey shrugged. "Your guess is a good as mine. Maybe because President Moon is getting old. Old news. Maybe that's what it takes for people to finally stand up and take note of what the real problems are." She looked as though she were not to share what these real problems were, but shook her head. "You'll see for yourself." She reached into her pocket and took out a wooden disk. A mockingjay, identical to Kendall's pin, was carved into it in thin and intricate lines. She held it out to Logan, who gazed down at it in fascination. "We're on his side. And his side is growing."

Then Casey took Samantha's hand and led her back towards the forest. "We've been resting long enough, come on."

Samantha glanced back over her shoulder at where Carlos and Logan still stood, watching them in bewilderment. Then she smiled, pressed the three middle fingers of her left hand to her lips, and held them out to them before following Casey and disappearing into the trees. Some minutes later, the mockingjays in the trees around them began to sing the chorus of Kendall's song. The eerie echo was what drove Carlos and Logan back towards the fence, silent all the way.

**Don't forget to answer my question :P**


	14. Remember Me

**This chapter is looonnnnggggg. Eventful, somewhat :P a lil bit in there some of you predicted. I don't know if all the readers who did are still reading, but. I also loved writing a bit in the middle of this, I won't give anything away but you'll probably guess when you get to it. Enjoy! :) **

"Good morning Panem!" Deke Flickerman announced, teeth white and shining in the spotlight. His signature theme music played as he sat down at his shiny desk in front of a camera, a screen by his side. "As you all know, there are only eight tributes left in this year's Hunger Games! I know, I know. It's getting so exciting! And so, today we've sent TV reporters to interview the families and friends of the remaining tributes! Coming up first, the Griffins from District One!"

"This is so nerve-wracking," Mrs Knight was blustering as she hurried around the house in what she deemed to be her best clothes. She wore a cream coloured dress, and it was very pretty. Katie sat on the couch , the camera crew opposite her. She wore a blue dress, her hair tied back in a braid. Logan and Carlos sat with her. "I just don't know what to say!"

"Oh, don't fret!" Madison, their reporter, reassured her. "You'll all be fine! We've been asked to find the people you all think are closest to Kendall. Just say what you feel."

Carlos and Logan exchanged awkward glances. If they were to speak their minds, there'd be a lot of trouble.

"Now, you're the last ones to be interviewed," Madision continued, sitting in her chair, which was in view of the cameras, but also to the side and out of the family's way. "So in about twenty minutes we'll begin the countdown. You can watch your interview and the rest when they're repeated later tonight!"

"Yay," Carlos murmured, Logan and Katie sniggering at the comment.

They sat their and waited nervously. Upon Katie's request, they were allowed watch the live interviews on television until it was time to switch it off. Needless to say, Lucy and Wayne's families were just as tough and frightening as they were. Mercedes' family seemed very regal, her mother in particular. Jennifer's family seemed sweet, and very proud. And James' family all looked exactly like him. The resemblance was spooky.

"And now, last but not least, District Twelve!" Deke cheered delightedly.

Instantly Logan was overcome with nerves. Carlos squeezed his hand very briefly before the cameraman signalled 'action'. "Hello, Panem!" Madison trilled, fluffy pink hair bouncing. "Sitting with me I have, from left to right, Kendall's mother Jennifer, his sister Katie — and how sweet is she?! — a friend, Carlos Garcia, and the man everyone wants to see, big brother Logan!"

They all waved, smiling slightly nervously.

"So, Jen, can I call you Jen?" She continued without waiting for an swer. "How are you feeling at this point in the Games?"

"Well, um." Mrs Knight cleared her throat nervously. "Obviously I'm very proud of Kendall. I had complete faith in him that he'd make it far, but I'm still pleasantly surprised. All I can do now is watch and hope he makes it farther, and maybe even to the end. It's difficult, knowing I can only sit here and not do anything to help him . . ."

"Well, luckily he has plenty of sponsorship in the Captiol!" Madison beamed. "Lovely. Now, Katie dear, tell me what you think his strongest and weakest points are!"

Katie grinned at Madison, then at the camera. Logan could almost hear the Captiol cooing at her innocent nature. She'd never had any trouble in the spotlight. "Well Madison, obviously his strongest point is his archery. But he's also fast, and can climb trees. He's not too bad with bandaging either."

"And his weakest point?"

Katie's smile widened and she blinked innocently, giggling, "Oh, even if I knew that one, I wouldn't tell you!"

Madison chuckled fondly, as did the camera crew. Logan could only smile at her in awe. _Very clever, Katie. Very clever._ "Alright, Carlos! Where, when and how did you and Kendall first meet?"

Carlos didn't miss a beat. "We met at the market, he was buying some herbs Mrs Knight needed for healing, if I remember right. It was shortly after the mining accident, where we both lost our fathers." A sigh of dismay from the Capitol people. "I was about thirteen, and he was eleven. Just a little slip of a thing." Carlos smiled at the camera, oozing confidence that Logan could tell he was forcing for the sake of this whole charade. "Though he's not anymore."

"Nope, definitely not. And now, Logan." Madison's voice lowered dramatically and into a serious tone. It was ridiculous, and he wanted to laugh. "Tell us how you feel."

Logan took a deep breath. "Well . . . First I wanna say that I'm so, so proud of Kendall." He didn't need to act out anything for this. But he also knew he had to be careful about what he had to say. "He's only proven to me more what a strong and kind and amazing person he is. He's a wonderful brother and an amazing friend. I've sort of been a father to him since ours passed away, and guess this is confirmation I did an alright job, as did our mother and father." He looked directly into the camera lens and planned his next piece very, very carefully. "He doesn't deserve to be in that arena. It should be me. Only, he knew I wouldn't stand a chance. My injury proves that, and nobody would ever have mercy on me. Kendall had mercy. He is merciful, and brave, and kind." He paused. "And he is humble. Everything a leader," He paused. "Of a family, should be."

The silence rung out in the room.

"But if we steer towards that James stuff," Logan added, covering up with a grin and a chuckle. "Personally, I'm not having any of it. He's much too young to have a boyfriend!"

Madison laughed, but he could see it was slighty strained. "Thank you, Logan. Back to you, Deke!"

"And cut," the cameraman said, stepping back. "Good job, guys." He cleared his throat and hastily began to clear up his equipment.

As Madison struck up a conversation with Katie and Mrs Knight, Carlos dragged Logan to the corner of the room. "Logan, that was amazing!" he whispered. "You're so clever!"

"It was nothing," Logan murmured back, blushing. "It just came to me, that's all."

"How do you think people are gonna react when they hear that?"

"If Sam and Casey were right . . . maybe things will develop more."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kendall woke up with his face pressed against James' warm chest. He yawned and sat up a little, smiling a little as he watched the brunet sleep. He was so handsome. He bit his lip, cheeks flushing at the thought of those soft lips on his. Unable to bear it any longer, he leaned in and kissed him gently. He pulled back a few seconds later, only to feel a hand on the back of his head tugging him back in. He laughed and kissed the sleepy James again, lazily prodding his tongue at his bottom lip. James wrapped his arms around him, cuddling him tenderly. He felt genuinely beautiful.<p>

"Good morning," James greeted at last, sitting up and grinning at him. "Anything to eat?"

Kendall rolled his eyes, moving out of the sleeping bag and reaching for his pack. "We have bread and cheese left."

"Great; my appetite's all back." James crawled out too, sitting beside him on the stony floor.

"Wait. Let me look at your leg first." Kendall lifted James' leg onto his lap and began to untie the bandages, unwinding them from around his leg. He gasped. The wound had healed. Completely; all that was left was a faint white scar on the skin. "That medicine, it's a miracle worker! Those Capitol guys are lucky as fuck. Your leg's all fixed up."

"Thanks to you," James grinned.

"I hardly did a thing," Kendall replied dismissively, wrapping up the bandage and putting it in his bag. "I'll clean that later, you don't need it anymore. Can you walk?"

James got up to try, and sure enough, he could walk perfectly. He was slightly weak from the lack of movement the day before, but other than that he was fine. Kendall rewarded him with breakfast and a kiss. As they ate, James' smile suddenly fell and he sighed, wrapping the remainder of his portion in a piece of plastic. "What's wrong?" Kendall asked him, taking the last bite of his soft bread and loving every moment of it. He seemed to be loving much more lately.

"I can walk again," James said in a low voice. "Which means it's best if I leave now."

"Oh." Now Kendall saw the issue. He sighed dismally. "Yeah . . ."

"It is for the best."

"I know. I brought it up in the first place."

"I know . . ."

Wordlessly, they reached for each other. They slumped back against the cave wall, Kendall pressing himself against James's shoulder and resting his head in the crook of his neck. "Don't go yet," he mumbled at last. "Stay for a little while."

James' tightened his arms around him and kissed the top of his head. "I will."

They stayed like that for a while, and Kendall had no idea how much time had passed. It only became clear to him when he took a peek outside, glanced at the sun, and saw it must be around noon. He sighed, and turned to see James packing up his things, he reluctantly did the same.

"This will be a refuge," Kendall said to James as they stood up inside the cave, supplies all packed up. "Only if we need somewhere to hide."

"That works for me."

They pushed the vines aside and wandered out into the real world. Kendall stood outside the cave entrance with James, pack securely on his back and his jacket zipped halfway to his chest. James stood there in front of him, looking down at him sadly. "I want to give you something," he said at last, unzipping his jacket. Kendall's jaw dropped when James untied the simple gold chain from around his neck. It had a tiny charm of a sunflower on the end, very rusty. But it was beautiful in a simplistic way, the kind of style they were both used to. Kendall shook his head quickly as James held it out. "N-no. That's your token—"

"Please," James said softly. "I want you to have it."

"But . . ." Kendall's voice died out, protests dissolved in his throat as James's hands wound around his shoulders and his fingers lightly touched the back of his neck. He tied the chain there, and Kendall finally managed to speak again. "Why?"

"Because," James replied, hands moving from behind Kendall's neck to cup his cheeks. "Remember when I told you that I didn't want the Games to change who I am, before I lose?"

Kendall nodded.

"I want you to remember me, for who I am. Or who I was. I don't think I'll be strong enough to stay this way."

"I think you're strong enough."

"I know you do. But remember me. Just in case."

Kendall nodded again, smiling weakly though his mouth and hands trembled as he tightly gripped James' jacket. "Okay. I will." James kissed him and he clung back desperately, and he was sure that no matter what else was going on within the Games at that moment, all eyes of Panem were on them. It made him feel self-conscious, but also somewhat confident. It was a point to make, that he'd never felt about anybody else the way he felt right now. And yet, it was the worst possible circumstance. He wanted everyone to really understand that.

It seemed that no time had had passed, and yet James was gone. He was alone again, and while it used to bring him comfort, he now despised it thoroughly. He tucked the chain under his shirt to keep it hidden and safe, close to his skin.

Kendall began to move on. The forest seemed oddly quiet and deserted. He spent the afternoon setting down some snares, but in random parts of the woods so nobody could track him if they found them. The day dragged on lifelessly, and Kendall felt somewhat lifeless with it. However, he did stay alert. Eventually, as evening came, he got tired and decided to just climb up a tree and rest for the night. This notion suddenly became even more appealing when he heard voices in the trees and knew the careers were coming. He quickly chose a tree and shimmied up the trunk, high up and sitting on a large branch. He let out a long breath and leaned back, panting slightly as he heard the careers coming closer. He froze in horror as he heard a faint rustle behind him, and an empty bird's nest slowly tipped over the branch and fell to the ground with a soft thump. _Shit_.

He immediately drew an arrow and armed himself as the careers cried out, one of them pointing to it. As they appeared below his tree, they all looked astounded and delighted at this bit of luck. Wayne in particular. He held his sword in his hand, swinging it and grinning evilly. Lucy held a knife, Mercedes did too, and Stephanie was armed with her own bow and arrows. But she had hardly any left and he could already guess she wasn't as competent with them as he was. "Evening," he greeted at last, smiling. "Haven't seen you guys for a while."

"We've been around," Wayne replied, jaw set. "How's the view up there?"

"Oh, it's gorgeous."

"I'm sure it is. Maye I'll come up there."

"I think you should," Kendall replied, staring him down and holding up his bow and arrow. "Don't be shy."

Wayne held his sword in one hand and began to climb. Kendall already knew he was too big, and too heavy. He smiled sweetly and waved at him. "You're doing great so far!" Then he slipped, and Kendall laughed as he toppled to the ground. Gritting her teeth, Stephanie stepped forward and aimed right for him. The arrow shot past his head. Lucy's knife did the same; he was simply too high up, too obscured by branches. "I'm in no rush," Kendall added. "I promise. Take all the time you need."

"He has to come down some time," Mercedes quickly told her three teammates, who were evidently getting very frustrated. "Let's just wait him out. He's our biggest competition." So they sat, and they waited. The sky began to get dark.

Kendall was bored, sitting there and waiting. He looked around, wondering if there was some way for him to get out of here without them coming after him. He could try and jump from tree to tree, but he wasn't small enough and feared he would fall. If he did they'd hear him, and he'd have no chance. He could spear them all with arrows and then just leave. This seemed a more reliable option, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He liked to preserve his arrows anyway. He looked up to see if there was any hope in that direction. Then he spotted a large, ugly grey nest. A tracker jacker nest.

He sighed, climbing up the trunk to where the nest dangled. It barely hung from the tree, as they always did. He could hear the buzzing from inside. He glanced down at the Careers on the ground, partly hidden by the darkness and the tree branches. He took out his knife and held it in his hand. Maybe if he gave it one quick swipe . . . A few stings from these mutated insects killed you. Only one caused terrible pain and hallucinations. It was pure poison. He wrapped his left arm and leg securely around the trunk and leaned out as far as he could, knife in his right hand. It was only an inch, between the rest of the nest and the branch it dangled from. He felt a sharp sting on his wrist and winced. Fuck. He swiped with the knife and made a clean cut over the top of the nest. It dropped immediately. He put his knife away, spat on his wrist and rubbed it as the pain began to set in. His head spun and he heard screams of terror and angry buzzing below him. He slumped down on a branch, clung to the trunk and squeezed his eyes shut.

Images spun in his head of Logan dancing and laughing, his leg unharmed. He opened his eyes and saw it wasn't a trunk he was holding, but a gigantic carrot. He blinked sleepily and looked down at the ground. "Kendall!" James called in a dreamy voice. He was dressed as a Peacekeeper. "Come down!"

"I-I can't," he managed to breathe out, clinging on tighter to the carrot. No, trunk. "They'll kill me."

"The butterflies?" James questioned innocently, shaking his head and laughing. "No, silly! They're just harmless little insects. They're born as caterpillars, you know!"

"N-no, no butterflies," Kendall stuttered, shaking his head and squinting. He felt wings fluttering around his face and slapped them away. "No, they're tracker hackers and careers and they wanna kill me . . ."

James spoke again. Only Katie's voice came from his mouth. Kendall gaped down at him. "Don't fret! This is all just a dream anyway!"

Kendall giggled. Then the butterflies fluttered closer to his face, suffocating him, and he started to scream.

Kendall's eyes shot open when he felt himself beginning to fall and heard the national anthem playing above his head. He quickly grabbed hold of the trunk and slid down to a lower branch, panting and gasping with sweat streaming down his face. He looked down at the ground. The illusion of James was gone, an empty tracker jacker nest in its place. Stephanie lay beside it, her weapon in her hand, her body swollen with stings. She was dead. The rest were gone. He hadn't even heard the cannon go off. Trembling, he climbed upwards again and got himself ready for bed. He unrolled his sleeping bag and threw his pack inside, getting in after it and tying himself to the tree. His wrist throbbed painfully. He yanked the stinger from the bump, which had swelled almost to the size of his fist. He reached down for his backpack to find some of the leaves James had given him. Maybe they could calm it down. Unfortunately, he found none. He cursed.

"Good evening, or should I say good morning, tributes!"

Kendall sat up as he heard Deke's voice booming around the arena. His heart pounded.

"We've been watching today's events, and I must say we're very impressed, and very surprised! We think you need a bit of a helping hand."

Kendall rolled his eyes.

"So, at sunrise, there will be a special treat for go all at the Cornucopia! Something each one of you very dearly needs at the moment. You'll all benefit, trust me! May the odds be ever in your favour!"

What did Kendall need? Well, that was obvious. The sting was still throbbing and he could almost feel the poison seeping up his arm. He felt queasy. He imagined the careers did too; and that they possibly felt worse than he did if they had more stings and hadn't pulled the stingers out. He had to go to that feast. In every incident of one during his viewing of the Games, the prize had always been food. Sometimes a huge banquet, sometimes a single slice of bread that they all fought over anyway. This time it was somewhat different. He made up his mind that he would go to the lake soon enough. But for now, an hour or two of sleep would do him no harm.

And so he slept, too tired to heed the hovercraft descending to take Stephanie away.

It was slightly bright outside when Kendall headed toward the lake in the morning. He kept cautious. The pain in his arm still distracted him somewhat, but he knew that now, more than ever, he had to watch out for the careers. And of course, he was in the worst possible place to avoid them, but it couldn't be helped. He arrived at the edge of the clearing where the Cornucopia and the lake were, just as the sun began to rise and the metal of the large horn glistened somewhat peacefully.

Kendall watched with wide eyes as the ground began to open up, just outside the Cornucopia. A table rose up in the centre, with four bottles of clear liquid on it. One for every affected district. There were also three packages; one for Jennifer, one for Guitar Dude, and one for James. He thought about running out and just grabbing his immediately, and taking off again. But then a flicker of movement caught his eye.

He watched in awe as Jennifer darted out from the darkness of the Cornucopia, grabbed her package, and vanished. Just like that. He felt jealousy flare up inside of him, and annoyance that he hadn't thought of that brilliant trick himself. But he didn't think about it anymore and held his bow in his hand tightly, sprinting out into the clearing. He was a metre from the table when he felt something whistle past his ear. The knife stuck in the grass in front of him and he immediately dived forward, grabbing his bottle and stuffing it into his pocket before drawing an arrow and turning around. Lucy flung another knife, wild with rage. Kendall ducked and fired an arrow in her directin, striking her in the arm. He felt a knife slice just past his forehead and cut him, wincing. Blood dribbled down over his eyebrow, he wiped at it furiously and drew anther arrow.

Then he was suddenly knocked flat on the grund, crushed by a heavier weight. He was rolled over harshly onto his back and his arms were pinned tightly above his head. Wayne only needed one hand to do this. He smiled evilly down at Kendall, pinning his body down completely with his own. Kendall roared and kicked and squirmed, but couldn't throw him off. "It's about time we meet again," Wayne rasped, eyes containing nothing but pure madness. Kendall was truly terrified. However, he hoped he didn't show it.

"I didn't appreciate you killing off my partner," he continued, tightening his hold on Kendall's hands and placing his other hand around Kendall's neck. He squeezed. Kendall gasped and choked as Wayne laughed. "Not that I miss her much, but still. You're gonna have to pay for that." He looked up at Lucy. "Mercedes is keeping watch?" She nodded.

Kendall squirmed and choked, whimpering but scowling up at Wayne in the most defiant way possible. He spat up into his face. Wayne hit him across the cheek and his head spun. "Bitch." Wayne snarled, holding out his hand. "Lucy, knife." She handed him one, and he pressed the flat of the blade on the curve of Kendall's cheek. "Fun fact, boy on fire. I was kind of hoping to see you naked and covered in coal dust. I was pretty disappointed at the parade." He flicked the knife under Kendall's eye; a stream of blood trickled down his cheek. "Aww, now you're crying? You poor baby." The way he was cooing and smiling at Kendall made him want to throw up. He felt the cold sharpness of the knife on his bottom lip, chest heaving and heart pounding against his chest.

"You know what?" Wayne sighed, removing the knife. "I think I'd prefer to cut you up after I'm done. It's a little less satisfying, but it's more appealing on my part." And he reached harshly for the zipper of Kendall's jacket and tugged it down. Kendall started struggling harder, shaking his head frantically and trying to kick. Wayne and Lucy were laughing. The button on Kendall's trousers was unbuttoned and they were slid down to his knees. He started to tremble all over, and shut his eyes tightly. He would not scream. He wouldn't.

_Logan, I'm sorry—_

Then he heard the cannon go off.

"What . . .?"

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Kendall only dared to open his eyes when he felt Wayne being thrown off of him, a loud cry of pain coming from the older boy. He was lying on the ground, holding his head and groaning. Kendall immediately scampered backwards and pulled his trousers up. His eyes widened with horror when he saw Lucy, screaming and cowering on the ground, calling for Wayne to come and help her. Guitar Dude stood above her head, face red with anger, a club in his hand. Wayne didn't come to her side, the club slammed down against her skull, there was a sickening crack that made Kendall gag, and she fell motionless to the floor. Her eyes were still open. A boom sounded through the air as Wayne struggled to his feet, pained expression in his face, and fled. He made sure to ran his treasure beforehand.

Kendall jumped to his feet, falling back against the Cornucopia. "Did they?" Guitar Dude asked him urgently, harshly. His mellowness was long gone. "Well, did they?"

"N-no," Kendall replied, shaking his head quickly. "No . . . they didn't get a chance."

Guitar Dude grabbed the remaining items from the table and stuffed them all into one package, before nodding abruptly to him. "Get out of here."and he turned and ran away, quick and nimble over the hill into the one part of the arena which Kendall had never been to. And he had no intention of going there now.

Kendall took off into the trees, panting and shaking as he ran. He ran without stopping, tripping over roots and branches scratching at his face and arms but he didn't stop. He never stopped running. He stumbled along the river bank and found the cave, diving inside and landing on the floor. He couldn't breathe; he'd been running too long. Tears streamed down his face as he panted and sobbed. He'd forgotten how to be strong for Logan and for the cameras. The cut on his head really hurt.

He let his eyes slip shut and curled up in a ball.

_I want to go home . . ._


	15. Blaze

**New chapter :) can't wait for Christmas!**

Kendall woke up with a throbbing pain in his head. For a split second he felt very cold, but then realised that it was all in his imagination, and that he was wrapped up in his sleeping bag. But how did he get in there . . .?

Thunder rumbled behind him. He jolted up into a sitting position, taking in a rasp of air. His chest heaved as he turned wildly to his left to see almost total darkness. He heard rain falling and thunder clapping outside of his cave. He shivered, curling up and hugging his knees. His cut stung. He reached up and touched his fingers lightly off the spot, only to find it covered with a bandage. He looked back to the cave entrance when he heard a faint rustle.

And there was James, crawling back into the cave and shaking his wet hair like a dog. "J-James?"

"You're awake," James replied, grinning and crawling over to him. His teeth shone in the dark clouding his handsome face. "Good, I was waiting for that. I was sitting outside to check the faces in the sky, they cleared the clouds just for that. The anthem must've been what woke you up."

"Maybe . . . I don't know." Kendall touched off his bandage numbly. "You did this?"

"I did. I came here to shelter from the storm and found you unconscious. You looked a little cold and pale. I would've tried to give you something to drink but I was scared I'd choke you."

Kendall nodded, crawling out of the sleeping bag and wrapping it around his shoulders, scooting over on his knees to wrap it around James too. "Here."

"Thank you." The two nestled close together, James' wet hair and face chilling Kendall's and making him shiver slightly. "Do you want to know the names of the dead tributes?"

Kendall nodded and James held up his three middle fingers. "Three girls, three Careers. Stephanie," he counted one, "Lucy," another, "And Mercedes." The last.

Kendall felt a strange numbness at hearing Mercedes' name. She'd saved him at the Cornucopia, the first time he was there. It wasn't something he could ever forget. He wished he'd spoken to her at one point, to find out why she did it. If she'd even done it on purpose, or if it had just been pure coincidence. "I, um . . I was there, for all of those deaths."

"You were?" James instantly perked up in interest. "Tell me."

Kendall explained the story about the tracker jackers in full. When he moved on to the Cornucopia, his voice caught in his throat and he could hardly get the words out. He felt them melting in his mouth, tasting bitter and gnarled on his tongue. "B-but before he could do anything, Guitar Dude showed up. I think he killed Mercedes. I know he killed Lucy."

"To save you?" James frowned. "Why?"

"I don't know." Kendall swallowed. "I guess he just didn't like them. Or what they were doing . . ."

"I'm not complaining. I'm thanking him, in fact." James held Kendall tightly in his arms. "I'm so happy you're safe."

"I feel the same for you," Kendall murmured into his chest. "How've you been the past two days?"

"I haven't done much. I caught a rabbit, skinned it. Not very well but it was better than nothing." James gave him a warm smile. "And I applied that medicine from your pocket to your stings, by the way. They should be cleared up now."

Kendall's heart fluttered and he felt his head spin a little. He gave James a hungry kiss, gripping his shirt and staying still there for a moment or two, relishing the feeling of James' warm mouth pressed softly to his. He was so sweet, so kind, and it absolutely killed Kendall knowing that at least one of them was going to die here. He had to pull back and bite his lip hard, his face pressed to the brunet's chest, to ensure he didn't break down in tears.

"I hate this," he babbled against James' jacket. "I-I can't stand it. I hate that Wayne tried to hurt me and that he'd actually want to do something like that in front of everyone, I hate that Stephanie had to be killed by a nest of stinging insects I threw on her so she wouldn't kill me too and I hate that Guitar Dude saved me and he's so decent but it doesn't mean anything, it all means nothing, I—"

Shh," James said softly back, soothingly running his fingers thrugh the blond hair on the back of Kendall's head.

"I hate being weak," Kendall choked. "I hate it. I'm not weak."

"You're one of the strongest people I've ever met. A lot of the people from the Games are. Though of course, not all of them." James pressed a fleeting kiss to his forehead and tugged the sleeping bag tighter around them. "We're both very brave, you know that."

"I don't feel brave."

"That's part of it. Trust me." James looked out at the storm still going on, frowning. "I guess one of us is gonna have to go out in the storm, hmm? Seeing as you were recently injured I guess it'll be me."

'What do you mean, go out in the storm?" Kendall asked, looking up at him sharply.

"Kendall, if we're staying separate for our remainder of the Games, we can't stay in the same place. This was only for hiding out. We agreed to that."

"But, surely that's what we're doing, isn't it?" Kendall protested. "Sheltering from the storm, I guarantee you we're the ones with the best hiding place. Don't give that up over a little technicality."

James rolled his eyes, unable to help chuckling a little. "Well, you're a very stubborn person, aren't you?"

"Obviously. It's part of my charm," Kendall teased. "I know you don't went to go out there and I know you don't want me to have to. I feel the exact same."

"I guess you're right. Might as well wait it out."

They lay on the cave floor together, sliding into the sleeping bag properly. Kendall lay facing the cave entrance, and James lay behind him nestled up to his back. It felt warm, it felt safe. But there was still someone facing the direction danger would come from, which was what they needed. Their hands lay intertwined on Kendall's stomach. It was still night, and they fell into a deep sleep, the rain and thunder becoming a lullaby to their ears.

* * *

><p>"Here, here!" a Capitol woman shrieked, thrusting a cheque into Gustavo's hand. "Get those poor boys some food! All for the good of the Games!"<p>

"Thank you, Ma'am," Kelly replied in delight, giving her a brief peck on the cheek. "I know they'll appreciate it!" The woman returned her kiss and flounced off.

"Time to get this cashed," Gustavo announced, handing it to Kelly. "Be a doll, do it for me?"

"Alright," Kelly sighed, rolling her eyes and taking the cheque. "I'll be back soon, then. No running into any trouble while I'm gone!" And she trotted off in her high heels. Gustavo watched her go, smiling to himself. Suddenly at the end of the hallway he caught sight of Carlton Banks, the head Gamemaker, walking with President Moon himself. They were talking in low voices. Quick as a flash, Gustavo slunk behind a pillar and made like he was looking out of the window.

"They're hugely popular," Carlton was saying cheerily to the president. "People from other districts are even rooting for them, the boy from Twelve especially."

"That doesn't happen very often."

"You're right, it doesn't. Not with the two lowest districts, anyway."

"They're the underdogs and yet in terms of popularity, they hold the starring roles?" Moon shook his head disapprovingly. "I just hate it when the natural order is disturbed. There's a certain hierarchy, and when that is threatened, chaos can break out. The Dark Days were a prime example."

"That was a rebellion," Carlton argued. "A threat to overthrow us completely, all these boys want to do is stay alive and stay together—"

"That's where you're wrong," Moon cut in coldly. "All you need is a tiny spark, and the whole thing goes up in flames. And after all, nothing causes a blaze like a boy on fire." His voice lowered slighlty. "Let me be clear on this, Banks. I do not want a blaze."

"Understood, sir."

The two hurried off down the hallway, and Gustavo was left standing there, frowning to himself and trying to puzzle out what this could mean for his last tribute. He sighed, leaning back against the pills. Kelly couldn't come back with that money fast enough.

* * *

><p>Kendall felt hands, sliding up and down his bare skin. They were touching him in places he had never been touched, not like this. The hands were large on his thin pale thighs, sliding down, and sliding up again over his navel and his flat chest. He was undernourished. He was undeveloped. He was eleven years old again and lying on the cold worn sheets of Arthur Griffin's bed. He remembered that the stairs had creaked when he walked up after him.<p>

Griffin pressed his cold and chapped lips to Kendall's neck. He was grinning. "You're doing a good thing," he breathed against him in a husky voice. Those hands were shifting him so he lay open and exposed. He wanted to curl up and hide. Instead he let it be and just stared up into the man's eyes. "It's for your family. For your brother."

Kendall stayed silent and let this be a sign of agreement. He could spend a long while telling Griffin, or summarise it in only a few short words, that everything he ever did now was for his brother. He decided to stay quiet. He shut his eyes until Griffin asked him to open them, just for a while, just while he felt him for the first time. He felt short of breath and scared, but just did as he was asked.

Griffin inched closer.

Kendall's eyes sprung open and a weak little whimper escaped his lips. He felt a hand around him and was about to roll away in fright, when he heard another clap of thunder and the hard patter of rain on the arena outside. He was with James. He wasn't safe, of course. It would be stupid to think so. But he felt somewhat more comfortable here. His stomach rumbled and he gave a little sigh. He had no food left and he assumed James didn't either. He freed his hand from James' grip and rolled over to face him. James' hair fell across his forehead in slightly messy tufts, his lips pouted and parted just a little as he breathed softly. Kendall smiled lovingly up at him, reaching a hand out to lightly touch his cheek.

That was when he heard the faint clunk outside. He quickly leaped out of the bag and crawled over to the entrance, brushing the plants aside. A sponsor pot lay a few feet away. He grinned, getting to his feet and jogging out into the rain, picking it up and darting back inside. After a brief glance to the sky, he had no idea what time it was. It was too cloudy, too dark and murky. It could've been afternoon, could've been morning, or they could've slept for a whole day and it be nighttime again. He slipped back over to the sleeping bag and set the silver pot down beside it. He wanted to wait until James woke up before he opened it.

Soon enough, he heard a little grunt coming from the brunet and he sat up, blinking slowly. "'S 't still raining?" he slurred, blinking sleepily.

Kendall could help simpering a little, "You're adorable. And yes, it's still raining. But we've got a present!"

"Ooh." Instantly more awake, James crawled over to him. "What is it?"

"I don't know, I wanted to wait for you before I opened it."

"Okay, now you're adorable."

Kendall blushed. "Shush." Then he opened up the pot, instantly breathing in the wonderful smell of fresh bread and cheese. He took out the paper packages, finding that there were apples in there too. "Aren't our sponsors great?"

"You can say that again," James grinned, picking up an apple and without hesitation, taking a large bite. He crunched on it eagerly as Kendall took out his knife and cut up a few slices of bread and cheese, dividing it between them and wrapping the rest up carefully to put in his pack. "Here," James managed to say even with his mouth full, dribbling slightly as he cut the apple in half and handed Kendall the half that hadn't been bitten into. Kendall smiled gratefully and ate it eagerly. The sharp taste of the fruit on his tongue was just what he needed to bring him back to life a little. He finished off the fruit quickly and moved on to his bread and cheese. It was more or less the definition of comfort food. He longed to be at home, sharing it with Logan. Or maybe even in another home, sharing it with James.

His cheeks flushed at the thought and he quickly pushed it aside. That could never happen.

"Any idea what time it is?" James asked at last when they'd finished, licking the tips of his fingers thoughtfully to soak up the last little pieces of cheese.

"Not a clue," Kendall replied with a little sigh. "It's a pain in the ass, until the rain stops and the sky clears we won't really have much way of knowing. Unless maybe we hear the anthem, but who knows how long that'll take?"

"You're right." James gave a shrug, sliding back into the sleeping bag and sitting upright against the cave wall. Kendall slid in carefully beside him. "Guess we'll just wait it out then."

Kendall nodded, resting against his strong shoulder. He thought about his family, and how he'd give anything to be back with them. But if that meant losing James, it pained him beyond almost anything he'd ever felt before. The only feeling he could compare it to was that utter misery when he'd lost his father. He'd thought nothing could ever hurt him more than that did. He was wrong. "Hey, James? What if we really were brave?"

"Hmm?" James glanced down at him.

"If we didn't run away from all this. I mean, if we . . ." Kendall bit his lip. "If we stayed together, and didn't split up again."

James' eyes lit up slightly, but there was a frown on his lips. "And if it comes down to the both of us?"

"Well, we'll have an angry Wayne against us so whether or not that'll happen is uncertain. But, if it does, I guess we could deal with that when we come to it. I mean, you told me that you didn't want the Games to change you. I won't let them change me either. Or us. They have no right." He felt terrified saying all this in front of the cameras, in front of the Gamemakers and maybe even in front of all of Panem. But he just looked James in the eye and waited for an answer.

James looked uncertain, but he was clearly thinking about it carefully. Weighing out his options as any sensible tribute would. Eventually, he grinned and kissed Kendall hard on the mouth. "Okay, let's do it. Let's stay together. We make a good team, after all."

Kendall beamed at him, glad of this decision. With James at his side, he felt capable of anything. He also felt more human, less steely. He also knew that this way, should it come down to them and Wayne, the most likely outcome, he would protect James if he had the chance. He deserved to live, and he deserved to go home. Maybe Kendall did too. But he was not selfish and would not betray James. He was too important to him now.

"I miss my family and friends," James said at last as they huddled together. "Less than I thought I would, admittedly, but still a lot."

"I miss mine too," Kendall replied softly, giving the side of James' neck a quick peck. "I'm sure they miss us."

"Yeah, of course."

The two sat for a while, and talked about their families. Kendall talked about how Katie was scared of the dark and shared a bed with him and always snored and kicked at him when she was sick. James talked about his mother being known as a temptress but always having her children's best interest at heart. He talked about his siblings, each one of them and their little quirks, and his relationship with them to a T. Kendall couldn't help wondering, if he were to meet James' family, would they approve of him? Or would they shake their heads and scold James for not finding pretty girl instead? He assumed he was the only one of them with these ridiculous thoughts, until James brought his own up. "Do you think your family would like me?"

Kendall looked up at him, holding his hands as he said with all honestly, "I think they would love you."

James was reaching for him and pressing up closer when suddenly the anthem began to play. "I guess that marks another day ending," Kendall said a little breathlessly, squirming out of the sleeping bag before he could get too flustered. He hurried to the cave entrance and looked out, suddenly realising that the rain and storm had finally stopped and that the night sky was very dark, but very clear. A familiar face shone in the sky above his head, a large 5 underneath, before the Capitol logo appeared again, and the projections vanished. Kendall felt his heart sink to his stomach, retreating back into the cave to bump into James, waiting behind him.

"Any faces?" James asked him. "Tell me."

"Guitar Dude," Kendall relied quietly, briefly. "Guitar Dude is dead."

"Do you think Wayne did it?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe the Gamemakers just got tired of him." Kendall's voice shook with disgust and a grief he never thought he'd feel. "I didn't get to thank him . . ."

"I'm sure he knew that you meant to."

If Kendall had anyone he wanted to see die in this arena more at that moment, it wasn't Wayne, or Griffin, or even any of the Gamemakers or brainwashed Captiol citizens.

He wanted President Moon's head on a platter, all to himself.


	16. Together

The storm raged on the next day. Kendall and James received one more sponsors' gift in the afternoon, or at least what they thought was afternoon; a tiny dish of stew to share between them. It was really only big enough for one helping, so they wolfed it down while it was still hot and comforting in the miserable weather, eating from the pot with their hands as they had no cutlery. "Kelly must hate me right now," Kendall chuckled as he scooped more beef and vegetables onto his fingers and shoved them into his mouth, a little bit of sauce dripping down his chin. He licked it away with a little flicker of his tongue.

"If she were us, she'd understand," James retorted, licking his fingers and sucking the juice from his skin. "I feel gross but this tastes great and I really don't give a shit."

"Basically," Kendall laughed, eating a little more, before glancing up towards the ceiling, waving his sticky hand and calling, "Hey, Kelly!" He could practically hear her distressed squealing right now. The two finished off the stew, wiping a piece of bed each on the inside of the pot to gather the sauce, before slumping back against the wall and letting out contented sighs.

"I could eat like that 24/7," James said blissfully, hand over his belly as though miming that it had expanded several inches. "I'd get used to it after a while, then I wouldn't feel so full, and I could eat more!"

"Sounds like a dream lifestyle to me," Kendall mumbled, leaning against his shoulder and closing his eyes. "God, I wish it could happen."

"Maybe it can happen."

"I don't want it just for me."

James sighed, nodding and pressing a kiss to Kendall's temple. His lips were slightly sticky but Kendall didn't care. "Neither do I," he said softly, moving his arms around Kendall's waist. The thunder crashed outside, the sky still dark. "I wish we could just stay here forever. Growing old, catching food falling from the sky, just sitting here. I wish the rain wouldn't stop."

"But it will," Kendall murmured, tilting his head up and kissing James. James kissed back, hands burning against Kendall's bare skin when his shirt rode up just a little and his fingers brushed across his lower back. James' heat became to much for him and he pulled back, gasping and blushing hard. James chuckled.

"James, look." Kendall pointed out towards the entrance of the cave, where he could see the sun suddenly beginning to shine through. "We can go outside."

"You weren't listening to what I just said," James chuckled. "But yeah, I guess we should go out and find some food. I can look for roots?"

"Sounds like a plan." They stood up and got ready to leave, walking out of the cave together. "Let's use the same whistle signal as last time," Kendall suggested. "We'll get things done quicker if we split up."

James nodded in agreement, and off they went. As soon as Kendall was alone, he felt that overwhelming paranoia that he was being watched at all times. If course, he knew that he was being watched. But it was a feeling no cameras could ever give him.

He had little to no luck with hunting, much to his frustration. He gave an angry sigh at his second failed attempt, after a long time of seeing absolutely nothing, and went to go forage for berries instead. He collected berries he recognised and stuffed them all into his pack. Suddenly, in a small cleaning, he stumbled across a bush with berries he wasn't sure he'd ever seen before. He plucked some from the bush, noting how they were very similar looking to blueberries, which he knew were perfectly safe.

Kendall held the dark purple berries in his hand, giving them a little tentative sniff. They smelt very sweet. He sat against a tree quietly to himself, looking around blissfully, when suddenly a flicker of movement caught his eye. He glanced forward immediately, eyes widening. However, it was only a little bird, perched on the ground in front of him. He have a small smile, and in slow cautious movements so as not to startle it, flicked a berry to the ground in front of it. The bird pecked it immediately, taking it in its beak. It was gone in a matter of seconds.

Kendall glanced down at his hands, thumb lightly tracing a cut on his knuckle as he began to wonder what James could be doing. Then he suddenly heard a faint choke, and looked up. The bird lay dead on the ground in front of him.

_Shit_.

Kendall flung the berries to the ground, getting up and stumbling back with shaky legs. "Oh fuck, oh god . . ." He'd almost eaten them. He could've been like that bird. He could be dead right now.

Then he heard a cannon and turned around, eyes wild. "James?!"

He picked up his backpack and dashed through the trees, looking around in confusion and fright and calling and calling. "James, where are you?! James!" _Please be okay, please please—_

Somebody called his name, grabbed hold of his arm. He was about to scream and fight them off, but was met with James' concerned haze eyes. He let out a dry sob and collapsed into the taller boy's chest, clinging onto him with his hands linked tightly around him. "I thought it was you," he gasped, still out of breath and still dazed. "I thought you were dead, I—"

"I'm here, it's okay."

"I found these berries and I was about to eat them but then I gave one to a bird and it died and I thought you—"

"Wait, what?" James pulled back sharply. "Kendall, show me where you found them."

Kendall nodded slowly, making his way through the woods and coming to the correct bush. James groaned when he saw them. "Kendall, those are Nightlock!"

"Nightlock?" Kendall stared hard at them. Then he realised, and his jaw dropped. "Oh god . . . I'd forgotten what they looked like. Shit."

"You'd be dead in a minute," James was saying half to himself as he wandered around the bush. The hovercraft began to rumble above them as he added numbly, "Just like her." He beckoned Kendall over. Kendall hurried around to where he was standing, gasping when he saw Jennifer, the last one, lying on the ground. Her blonde hair lay strewn underneath her, her mouth slightly open, a little trickle of blood and dark berry juice on her lips. "She probably saw you pick them," James said. "Maybe she thought they were safe."

"I'm glad I waited," Kendall said with a little sigh, stepping back and leading James away so the hovercraft could descend. "How'd you recognise them so well?"

"There are a ton around where I live. And on the outskirts of the orchard I work every spring."

"I hardly see them. I've come across them, maybe once. I didn't recognise them at all." Kendall's cheeks were red with shame. "My father would be so disappointed in me for that."

"No he wouldn't, don't be ridiculous. He could never possibly be disappointed in you." James stepped forward, looking around. "You know, I think we should go back to the cave. We've done enough gathering for one day. There are three of us left."

"What do you think is gonna happen?" Kendall asked quietly as they walked.

"I have no idea. But honestly, there's nothing we can do about it now. We just have to wait and see, and whatever happens, happens."

Kendall nodded. Their hands bumped together frequently as they walked, but neither of them dared to hold the other's hand while they had to stay constantly alert on both sides. At last, they arrived back in the cave. Kendall brushed aside the plants and let James go in first, before following him and fixing the plant back so the entrance was completely hidden. James was sitting on the cave floor when he turned around, cutting the outer layer off some roots with his knife. Kendall sat next to him and did the same. He took a small bite of the raw root, wincing at the slightly sharp taste. But he ate it anyway, watching James crunch slowly on his own piece.

"Mind giving me some cheese?" James asked with a little chuckle after he'd dutifully swallowed the last of his. Kendall grinned, taking out the sponsors' gift and cutting up a slice of bread and cheese for each of them. James ate happily, giving a little appreciative moan as he did. Kendall put the food away, blushing slightly as he ate his own. James moaning so close to him wasn't something he needed to be hearing right now.

Suddenly the sky outside turned dark, giving the illusion of night. Kendall supposed is was the Gamemakers' doing. He heard the anthem and didn't bother to crawl over to the entrance and watch the faces in the sky. He knew who was dead; he didn't need to see her again.

* * *

><p>Logan had never seen so many mockingjays.<p>

They were spray-painted on almost every shop, and every single house in the Seam. It was sprayed on the walls on the Hob, and someone had even painted it in mud on the wall of the Justice Building. He couldn't understand why this was happening now, so suddenly and all at once. It terrified him and excited him all at once. Rebellion meant trouble. But it almost meant change, and possibly improvement. Or, possibly, the opposite.

"It feels like I'm living in another District," Carlos sad quietly to Logan as they walked along the Seam towards the merchant area of the town. "It's so bizarre. I can even see it in people's faces. I can see who did things, and who didn't. I can see who's scared and who's waiting for things to kick up a notch."

"I can't tell that at all," Logan sighed, hand clinging to his cane. "I don't know what to think or believe anymore. And it's only been a couple of days."

Suddenly, Logan got the whiff of something burning in his nose. Heavy smoke. He looked around, trying to see where it was coming from. Then he spotted it, and he gasped in horror. "Carlos. . . the Hob."

Carlos took off running, Logan limping after him as quickly as he could. The smell got stronger as they got closer. The Hob warehouse had smoke billowing from the doors, a faint flicker of a flame just visible on the inside. There were Peacekeepers surrounding it, some helping the blaze to grow and intensify, while others roughly grabbed at the people they'd arrested from inside of it. Their faces showed only terror, and slight defiance. The Peacekeepers' helmets hid their faces from view.

"What's going on?!" Logan wondered.

"I'll find out," Carlos said quickly, moving away from him towards the commotion. Logan stood and watched him ask Greasy Sae, who was standing to the side with a cut on her forehead. They talked in low urgent voices for a few minutes, before Carlos walked back to Logan and Sae ran off in between the buildings, out of sight of the Peacekeepers. Logan spotted the crest of the Head on a man roughly holding a young boy by the upper arms, roaring at him but Logan unable to make out the words. Surely Griffin wouldn't . . .?

"What did she say?" Logan asked. "What's going on?"

"New Peacekeepers," Carlos replied slowly, quickly holding his shoulder and leading him away from the noise. "None of them are our old group, they've all been sacked. Griffin's gone, nobody's seen him since last night. The rest of them arrived this morning."

"Oh my god." Logan felt his legs shake up. "Did we do this?"

Carlos shook his head, lost. "I don't know."

* * *

><p>They woke up in the afternoon. They both knew deep down that this was the last day of the Games. "I don't think there's any point in hiding here," Kendall said at last. "If we do for too long, they'll probably bring the roof down on us anyway."<p>

"We might as well head out, then." They packed up quickly, drawing their weapons and stepping out into the woods. James glanced down at the river as they walked along it. "Good thing we refilled out bottles when we came out earlier. Check out the river."

Kendall glanced down, stopping in surprise when he saw the bank all dried up. "What river?" he attempted to joke, earning a little chuckle from James. "Do you think the ponds have dried up too?"

"Not too sure. We can go check one out, follow me. There's one nearby."

Kendall followed James through the trees, listening and watching carefully for any sign of Wayne lurking in the shadows. He was, admittedly, terrified at the thought of facing him, especially after all that had happened. But unless he were to stab himself in the chest right now, it was inevitable. James stopped at last, at where a shallow hole in the ground indicated where the pond used to be. Lilies lay at the bottom. "Hold on," Kendall said suddenly as James was about to speak, heading towards a bush that stood nearby. "More Nightlock."

"So?"

Kendall plucked several berries from the bushes, dropping the handful into his pocket. "Why are you taking those?" James demanded.

"Because." Kendall grinned at him. "Wayne might be hungry, I'm just being polite. Now come on, I think they want us to go to the lake. It's probably the only source of water left in this place."

The two kept walking. The sky above them shone brightly beating down on them and making the back of Kendall's neck sweat. The cut hem of his shirt brushed repeatedly off his bare skin, irritating him. He drank some water and kept walking grimly, James by his side at all times. By the time they reached the lake, the sun had almost set completely and it was getting darker. Kendall felt more comforted as they stood out in the open, where it was more difficult for things to sneak up on them. Things being Wayne, more than anything.

"I wish it would just happen," James mumbled to myself, Kendall hearing loud and clear. The next thing he heard loud and clear was the howl of a wolf, coming from the woods. He only half turned towards it, having never feared wolves much before. But he could hear crashing, growling, and wondered why they were coming this way.

Then they appeared at the edge of the clearing, and his jaw dropped. "_J-James!_"

They were huge, with thick fur, massive claws and snapping jaws. They would reach his height if he stood beside them. Kendall was short, but he wasn't that short. The one in front barely had to move his front paw forward, and Kendall was turning, rasping, "The horn," to James, and taking off. He had to get away.

Kendall sprinted towards the Cornucopia, heart beating in his mouth as his feet pounded. His chest hurt, his feet hurt, he was so scared that he thought his heart might just give out and send him crashing to the ground. But at last he reached the Cornucopia. James was hoisting himself up onto the tail, climbing up onto the ridges of the metal horn. Taking a deep breath, and praying his hands wouldn't tremble too much, Kendall jumped up and wrapped his arms around it. His arms trembled as he slowly lifted himself up onto the horn, just as a mutt reared up behind him and he felt its jaws snapping close to his face. He screamed, scuttling forward on all fours and collapsing down at the centre of the horn.

"We made it," James gasped beside him. "We're okay Kendall, it's okay, they can't reach us."

Kendall nodded, clinging to James' sleeve as his eyes fell on the wolf mutts trying to leap up the horn towards them. They were almost making it, but not quite enough. He let out a trembling sigh. "You're right, we're—"

Suddenly a heavy weight tackled James across the metal surface of the horn. It was Wayne. Gasping, Kendall immediately leapt to his feet and dived towards them. "No!"

James kicked Wayne in the side and managed to crawl away from the edge of the horn. Wayne growled, lunging for him again. Kendall knocked him down with a hard bash of his shoulder. The older boy slammed down onto the horn. He tripped Kendall up with his foot, the blond stumbling backwards and almost toppling off the side of the horn to where several chomping jaws waited below. "Kendall!" James roared, reaching towards him.

Wayne reached him first.

Kendall let out a choke as Wayne's arm wrapped tightly around his neck, tugging him toward his body in a headlock. Kendall's back pressed to Wayne's chest. The other boy chuckled darkly in his ear, tightening his hold on him. "Nice to see you again," he sneered. Kendall shuddered and tried to tug his arm off, but it wouldn't budge. His eyes fell on James who stood in front of them, holding his knife in his hand. He stood with his feet apart and his shoulders squared.

"Don't come near me with that thing," Wayne rasped, a manic laugh at the end of his sentence. "If I go down, he goes down with me."

"Only one of us can win," Kendall choked, staring at James. "Don't bother."

James glanced back and forth between he two of them, looking stricken and confused and unsure of what to do. "He's wearing your chain," Wayne laughed, reaching underneath and yanking it off Kendall's neck before choking him harder. "Look, isn't it pretty! Here, take it back. He won't be needing it." And he flung it at James' face. James ducked, letting out a roar. His hand drew back, Kendall's eyes widened. He couldn't remember if James could throw knives. He shut his eyes and waited. Maybe the knife would kill him immediately and he'd barely feel it.

But then Wayne screamed, and Kendall opened his eyes to see the handle of the knife quivering only a few inches away, the blade impaled in Wayne's hand. Wayne stumbled, falling backwards off the horn. Kendall screamed, overcome with terror as he saw the mutts again and tried to shove away from Wayne. He felt himself falling. Then a hand grabbed his and he was yanked up into a warm body, arms securely around him. "I have you," James murmured.

Kendall heard shrieks and snarls and the sound of cloth tearing below him. He trembled and fell to his knees, crawling back to the centre of the horn. The metal was freezing on his hands. "You should've let me fall," he mumbled. "Then you'd be the winner."

James only wound an arm around Kendall's waist, holding the blond close to his chest as he sat back. "I could never do that. Never." He suddenly held up the pendant, which he must've picked up from the horn. Kendall had expected it to fall off. He slid it into his breast pocket, where he could feel its faint weight against his chest. He shut his eyes tightly and clung to James' shirt. It was freezing out here.

Then he heard a sob from below the horn, about the growls and snarls. And a plea of pain and desperation. He stumbled to his feet, grabbing his bow and sheath of arrows. He had only a couple left. "What are you doing?" James asked, frowning. Kendall ignored him and walked to the edge of the horn, bow poised. He caught sight of Wayne's bloody face amongst the fur of the mutts. For a moment their eyes linked. And they were no longer enemies. They were both children, struggling to survive in a world that ripped them up as it pleased, for its own entertainment. They were fighting together, against the Capitol. One of them was already losing, and the other felt sure he would soon do the same.

He fired an arrow, lodging it into his skull. The cannon sounded, and the mutts stopped. They retreated back into the woods, vanishing from sight. Kendall watched them leave, a numbness setting in as he realised what had happened. He and James were the last tributes left. He crawled forward and slid off the horn to the ground, making sure to keep his gaze diverted from Wayne's mangled body and walking away into the centre of the clearing, by the lake. He stared out at the water, clamping his lips tight together and clenching his fists. He was stupid to have let it come to this. He shouldn't have let James save him.

But he told Logan he would try to win . . .

"Kendall." Kendall turned and saw James standing beside him, a similar expression on his face. "Look," the brunet sighed. "One of us is going to have to take the fall for the other."

"I know." Kendall turned to face him properly, arms folded. "I'm not letting you do it."

"Well I'm not letting you!" James snapped. "You've got your brother and sister back home!"

"You have siblings too! And I-I can't let you die instead of me. You're a much better person than I am, I . . ." Kendall clamped his hand over his mouth, trembling as he tried to catch his breath. "If I go home instead of you, I'll never forgive myself," he whispered at last.

"Do you think I don't feel the exact same way?!" James gripped Kendall"s shoulders angrily. "Do you think I'll be able to forgive myself? Every day, all I'll be able to think about was that I could've taken your place and died here like the rest of them, and let you live, but I didn't, and it'll kill me, Kendall! I'm dying either way!"

"Well so am I!" Kendall snapped. He turned away, scowling. It didn't seem as though they would find a solution any time soon. But the clock was ticking. The Gamemakers might get impatient with them soon enough. He didn't want to go home like this. He didn't want to leave James the burden of going home from here without him. Hhe stuck his hands in his pockets, stopping when he felt someone crush against his hand, wet and sticky. He coiled his hand around the mystery objects and pulled them out. The Nightlock. "James . . ."

"What?"

"Look." Kendall turned towards him, holding out the handful of dark berries in his hand. "This is our answer."

"I'm not letting you—"

"Shush, will you?" Kendall took James' hand and turned it so his open palm was facing up, and spilled half the handful of berries onto it. "There."

James stared at him blankly. Then he understood, eyes widening. He swallowed nervously, nodding and reaching out to take Kendall's free hand in his own, lacing their fingers together. "We'll do it together, at the same time."

Kendall nodded, knees shaking. "Yes." James leaned in and kissed him once, very gently. He pulled back and took a deep breath. "One."

"Two," James murmured, eyes focused on him.

"Three," Kendall finished, reaching his hand up towards his mouth.


	17. The Victors

**Soo there's a new plot point here that I came up with at the start of this story. As I was writing this chapter I started to doubt it a bit, wondering if it was dumb or whatever. But I figured I might as well stick with it. Enjoy the chapter :P**

Kendall woke up to a bright white ceiling. The first thing he heard was the eerily clear sound of a human breathing beside him; his ear had been healed. And not just healed, but enhanced. He lifted his hands to see if he could; he could, and his feet too. But there was something restricting his waist, and he looked down to see some kind of belt over him, keeping him from leaving the bed.

Mercedes Griffin was sitting beside him. And for a moment of terror and confusion, he wondered if he'd been stung by another tracker jacker.

It was as if she'd read his mind. "You're not dreaming. I'm actually here."

"I . . ." His hands trembled. "How?"

_"Stop, stop!"_

_Kendall and James looked up at the sound of the frantic voice. "L-Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the winners of the 74th Hunger Games . . . James Diamond of District Eleven, and Kendall Knight of District Twelve!"_

_Kendall and James dropped the berries immediately, clutching each other's hands and trembling. "We won, James," Kendall whispered, clinging to him. "We won, we're going home . . ."_

_"Don't let go of me," James choked. "In case it's a trick."_

_"I won't. I'm not letting go."_

_A hovercraft appeared above their heads, a rope ladder appearing and being lowered down towards them. They held each other tightly, and even as they both stood up and placed their feet on the ladder, they held each other with a free hand each. They were carried up into the hovercraft, hands reaching to grab them as they came closer to the opening. Kendall saw white gloved hands grabbing his shoulders and tugging him back from James and started to scream, struggling and kicking as he was tugged across the hovercraft floor. He could hear James roaring, hearing muffled by his bad ear, felt himself being restrained, taken to another room. And the last thing he heard before a needle jammed into his neck was an argument outside of the room._

_"No, it can't be. That's impossible!"_

_"How did she do it . . .?"_

"How did you do it?"

"It's a little complicated. Truth is, I don't totally understand how it's possible myself. It wasn't explained entirely to me, I just went with it."

"Who explained what?" I'm talking to a Career right ow. She should've killed me all those times but she saved me and she should be dead but she's not . . .

"I had a ring," Mercedes murmured to him, keeping her voice low. "James gave it to me."

"James?!"

"Yeah. Listen, I don't know where he got it but I don't think he was part of the plan. Just a messenger. So basically, the blue stone on the ring isn't really a stone at all. It was a pill covered by this really thin casing. It's built with all of this tiny, tiny precise technology so that it opened when a signal was sent from District Three, where they built the ring."

"How did it get past the Gamemakers?"

"The hell if I know. I woke up in my coffin, they woke me up with the pill I swallowed. I have no idea how it works. They wouldn't tell me, in case it were to ever get tortured out of me."

"Grim," Kendall couldn't help commenting.

Mercedes nodded. "Yeah. So basically, we wanted there to be more than one winner this year. To kind of . . . just defy the system, I suppose. But it turns out you and James did it for us. It's better than we could've hoped for."

Kendall was starting to piece this all together in his mind, in a way that was beginning to make a lot of sense. "You volunteered for the Games," he recalled. "And you kept saving my life . . . because I was the underdog?"

She nodded. "An underdog capable of winning, given the right circumstances. If I had an opportunity, I made it happen. You winning would've been the most ideal option, though of course I had no way of making sure of it without giving myself away. But anyway, you and James winning together works really well. Me, I'm just a Career who managed to cheat her way to the champion place. They probably would've killed me for real if somebody — who I won't name, for your protection and theirs — broadcasted my survival to the country. But you two, you're star-crossed lovers. It's a perfect cover. The public will love you, if you can keep the image up."

"It's not just an image," Kendall found himself retorting a little defiantly. He looked around the room. "Where is James anyway? They just pulled us apart . . ."

"He's in another ward," she told him. "I'm going to go see him next. We're back in the Capitol, by the way. They bring the winners back to the Victors' Building for recovery every year, right by the Training Centre. Tonight there's going to be a victors' interview with Deke, then the official crowning, done by the president."

Of course, Kendall knew all this. But repetition of the information helped him to grasp all of this somehow. "Can I see him before then?"

Mercedes shook her head, looking a bit sympathetic. "Not until the interview, Gustavo wants your reunion to be very real."

"Gustavo's here?!"

"He wants to see you next. I've gotta get going." She stood up, stepping away from the bed. "Oh and by the way, if you're wondering what time it is, it's 7am. It's also a Tuesday. I'll see you tonight." She left the room, shutting the door behind her. Kendall groaned and tried to sit up, managed to wriggle into a sitting position but still firmly fastened to the bed. He sighed and and folded his arms, scratching into his bare arms with his fingernails. A moment later, Gustavo walked in, shut the door firmly and sat down by the bed.

"Well." he gave a small smile. "Well done, little dog. You survived."

"Somehow," Kendall managed to reply weakly. "Is James okay?"

"He'll be fine. You'll both be fine. But listen, you have to be careful."

Kendall listened intently to what he had to say.

"They're not happy with what you did, you and Mercedes. What happened is that you're so madly in love with James that you just couldn't help yourself. You couldn't bear to live without him, the idea is just unthinkable. Got it?"

Kendall nodded, replying slowly but strongly, "But, it's true. I do love him."

"Just make it obvious, alright? Cuddly cuties, blah blah blah. Your lives basically depend on it. They're angry."

Kendall rolled his eyes. "I'm not too thrilled with them either."

Gustavo scoffed, but Kendall saw a trace of a smile. "Just remember what I said, little dog."

Kendall lay alone for a few more hours. He slept for a couple of them, tossing and turning a little but with limited movement. He tried humming, but music only reminded him of all the painful times he'd resorted to it. He sighed. And twiddled his thumbs. Closed his eyes for another time.

Then the door opened, after what felt like a century, and Marcos walked in. He hugged Kendall briefly before saying anything, and pressed the gold mockingjay pin, and James' repaired chain, into his hand. He clung to them like lifelines. "Marcos . . ."

"I'm glad you're safe," Marcos said to him with a warm smile, reaching down and fiddling with Kendall's restraints, freeing him. Kendall swung his legs off the bed immediately, surprised at how week and feeble he felt when he stood up in his gown. His knees trembled. "You were asleep for about twenty four hours, it's coming to evening now. First we're gonna get you something to eat, okay? Then we'll give you a bath, fix you up a little, and we'll dress you for your interview."

Kendall nodded, oddly missing this routine. It was comforting and homely. "Thank you."

"No problem. Now, follow me." Marcos handed Kendall a robe to wear out in the hallway, and slippers for his feet, and the two left the ward. They walked down the hallway to the elevator and stepped inside. Marcos pressed the button for the ground floor and down they went. "You'll be boarding in the Training Centre, in your old room. Normally the victor would stay here, but there's only one room, and now there are three of you. Stay by my side."

Kendall did, and they left the building. Instantly the air was cold and he tugged his robe tighter around him. He wobbly followed Marcos the few metres towards the Training Centre. He kept his eyes firmly ahead so that if anybody spotted him and stared at him, he wouldn't see and wouldn't have to react. He was brought inside immediately, and they went to the top floor. They went to the dining area where he'd eaten with Gustavo and Kelly and Camille, before the Games. Gustavo and Kelly were sitting there, waiting for him. Camille, of corse, wasn't. He swallowed and sat down in his old place.

"Kendall, sweetie!" Kelly hugged him delightedly, snivelling and pressing her sticky glossy lips to his forehead. "I'm so happy you're safe."

"Thank you," Kendall murmured, resting his hands on the table. A huge spread of food was laid out, all his favourite things; warm bread, vegetables, chicken and noodles in a green sauce, and that stew he and James had shared in the cave. Then Kelly placed down a large mug of hot chocolate in front of him and he had to laugh. Just because he was so tired, and so sad, but so relieved to be alive . . . no matter what he had to face from this point on. "Thanks, Kelly." He picked it up and took a sip. It was pure bliss.

Marcos left to meet his prep team. Kendall had expected he would have little to no appetite. But he ate and ate, chomping and swallowing the rich food so fast that he could see Kelly sitting across from him, lips clamped shut to resist lecturing him on his manners. "But, dear," she said at last, unable to help herself. "You could choke."

Afterwards, he was left to just sit still for a few minutes and let his groaning full stomach adjust. He gave a contented sigh. "Goto the bathroom, Kendall," Gustavo told him. "The prep team are there, they'll be happy to see you."

Kendall nodded and heaved himself to his feet, sloping down the hallway in his gown and slippers. He walked into the bathroom. Instantly he was met with suffocating hugs and kisses from Sandy, Brokke and TJ. Then he was stripped of his gown and all but thrown into the bathtub.

They scrubbed at him with a sweet smelling soap and once again, cleaned him vigorously until his skin glowed pink. Brooke made a few little snips to his hair while Sandy clipped and polished his fingernails and toenails. TJ plucked his eyebrows as the other two rubbed that soothing lotion all over his skin again, until he almost felt like he was floating in a little cloud, so relaxing.

"Here you go, sweetie," they fussed, handing him some underwear and a pair of socks. "Come with us to your room, Marcos has your outfit ready."

Kendall followed them down the hallway and into the massive room he'd slept in before the Games. He'd paced the floor of this room like a caged animal. He'd had nightmares in this room. He was condemned to sleep in it again. His hands shook as Marcos led him to the bed. He had a simple pair of black trousers laid out, and a pale blue shirt made of material that, once he put it on, seemed to flow around him like angel or butterfly wings. "I look so . . ." He stared hard in the mirror, trying to find the right words. "Young," he said at last. "I mean, I know I'm young, I'm not even sixteen yet, but—"

"I know exactly what you mean," Marcos said soothingly, brushing his hair aside gently and handing him his polished black shoes. "That's the idea. You're just a sweet little innocent, madly in love. Remember?"

"Right." Kendall nodded. "I seem to keep forgetting I have to be somebody else to convince people that I am in love."

Marcos chuckled, taking out his makeup kit and applying the tiniest bit of shimmer to the apples of Kendall's cheeks and a little bit of liner around his eyes. "There, perfect. They're going to love you."

Kendall nodded, swallowing nervously.

"We'll head down to the square in about fifteen minutes," Marcos told him, before helping the prep ream clean up the equipment. Kendall sat in the living room with Gustavo and Kelly for the remaining time. They chose to keep the television off; all they were talking about was the Games. Kendall didn't particular want to hear it until he had to. He went down in the elevator with Gustavo, Kelly and Marcos. Gustavo and Kelly moved under the stage with him, while Marcos went out to the audience.

"You stand here, dear," Kelly said to him, standing him on a slightly raised platform. There was a wall on his right, blocking everything else away. "The platform will rise up onto the stage when Deke Flickerman calls your name. You'll see James and Mercedes then."

"Okay," Kendall nodded, heartbeat quickening a little at the thought of seeing James again, polished and perfect. Though he'd been perfect beforehand . . .

He was soon left alone. He folded his arms and waited, puffing out his cheeks as he exhaled slowly. Then he suddenly heard Deke Flickerman's peppy theme music above his head, and his laughter.

"Good evening, everyone! Well well well, what a Hunger Games this has been! Not one, not two, but three brave winners, can you believe it?! We'll be talking to everyone's favourite couple — yes, you know who I'm talking about — and discovering the mystery behind our Career champion's mysterious and exciting win. So, without further ado, let's welcome our victors. Mercedes Griffin of District One!" The applause was deafening. Kendall quickly dropped his hands to his sides. "James Diamond of District Eleven!" More applause, even louder this time. He let out a little gasp of surprise and slight fright as the ceiling opened above him snd his platform began to rise. "And Kendall Knight, of District Twelve!"

Kendall rose to the stage and gazed out into the dark, screaming audience. He glanced to his left and saw Deke grinning madly at him. He looked to his right and saw James, looking at him and smiling in wonder. Kendall broke out into laughter, overwhelmed with joy as he sprinted the few feet to him, throwing his arms around him and kissing him hard on the mouth. His lips were warm and soft, but his arms hard and firm around his waist. They stayed that way until Kendall felt a little tap on his shoulder and pulled back a fraction to see Deke smiling fondly at the both of them, raising his microphone to his mouth before saying and turning to the audience, "I think we should move over to the victors' seat, don't you?"

"Yeah," Kendall nodded, smiling at him and taking James' hand in his. The two walked over to where Mercedes was already seated. The normal small armchair had been replaced with a soft looking extravagant sofa. Kendall and James sat side by side, Kendall in the middle with their folded hands on James' lap. Kendall saw James looking out at someone in the audience and tried to follow his gaze. He saw their mentors sitting together just as James scooted closer to him and they were squished together, before he tugged his right hand from Kendall's and threw his arm around Kendall's shoulders, before reaching over with his left, and taking it again. Kendall smiled lovingly up at him and pecked his cheek.

"It's good to see you three," Deke said, smiling at them. "Now, I'll go to you two in a moment, but first I want to speak to Mercedes." He turned to look at the blonde girl, who was dressed in very pale pink with her hair in soft waves around her shoulders and a little jewelled design on the side of her face. A similar look of innocence. "I have to ask you; nobody was really watching what happened to you when you 'died', for obvious reasons as I'm sure you know. I have to ask, how on earth did you manage it?"

"The truth is, Deke," Mercedes said, smiling out at the audience with a look of pure joy and awe, "I have no idea myself. I did feel myself start to get dizzy when I was in the arena. My heartbeat speeding up, struggling to breathe, all of that. Next thing I knew, I woke up in my casket, and I broke myself out. The medics were quite surprised."

The audiences chuckled.

"Yes, I'm sure they were. It's certainly a mystery. Now, Kendall."

Kendall's frightened heart skipped a beat.

"As you and James held those berries in your hands and counted to your deaths, I swear, I was in pieces. What was going through your head at that moment?"

This was it. Kendall took a deep breath, squeezing James' hand. "Well . . . all I could think about was how much I love James, and how I would rather have died than leave that arena alone." He glanced at James with a soft smile. "The truth is, I couldn't imagine life without hm."

The audience all sighed dreamily, Deke included. Gustavo gave a thumbs up.

"That's just beuatiful. And James, I have a question for you. What does the future hold for you and Kendall?"

"Well." James seemed to think about it for a moment. "I don't really know. I know I want to be with him, I don't know yet how we'll manage it. But even though we're still young, I want the rest of my life to include him in my arms."

The audience squealed. Deke cooed, hand on his heart, before saying another few words, and then the replay of the Games began.

It was difficult to watch, and to keep his dinner down. He managed to keep his eyes on the screen during the bloodbath of the Cornucopia, and the horrors of the fire, and various deaths that he hadn't been present for. Heather and Ozzie. Little Tyler. Camille's, which he was most definitely present for. He couldn't look at the screen when it showed him and Wayne by the lake. He stared down at James's hands, watching the brunet's finger trace his knuckle soothingly.

And the Games replay ended, whittled down into just two hours.

Kendall, James and Mercedes stood on the stage as President Moon arrived on stage, the Panem national anthem playing. He took the first victor's crown and placed the delicate golden band on Mercedes' hair. He chose the same for James. Then at last, he arrived at Kendall. Their eyes locked as Moon's hands brushed off his hair when he placed the crown down. He swallowed nervously but stared right back. Moon's eyes dropped to his chest. "You're wearing your pin. Lovely token."

"Thank you," Kendall replied sweetly, giving a small smile. "It's from my District."

Moon's eyes were cold. "Well . . . I'm sure they're proud of you."

It sounded almost like a threat. But then Moon moved on, and the ceremony ended. The audience roared like thunder, terrifying him.

Once they left the stage, Kendall was taken directly back up to his floor by

Gustavo and Kelly. "You'll be leaving tomorrow at 8am," Gustavo told him as he led him down the hallway to his room. Fatigue made his eyelids heavy and his limbs drag him down like weights. "All three of you will be on the train. It'll stop at One first for Mercedes."

"Then Eleven for James."

"No."

"No?!"

Gustavo smiled grimly. "His mentor and I decided that, keeping your best interests at heart, it might be more sensible to keep you together, as a loving couple for everybody to see. The train will be stopping briefly in Eleven for James to say hello, but then he'll be going back to Twelve with you."

Kendall's jaw dropped. He beamed at Gustavo. "That's great."

"Yeah, yeah, keep that attitude up. Get some sleep." Gustavo left down the hallway, and Kendall went into his room. Instantly he threw off his shirt and pants, grabbing some loose pants and a t-shirt to wear into bed. He tugged off his socks and sat back on the bed. He thought about lying down in bed; his body was tired, but suddenly his mind was wide awake and he couldn't shut it down. Sleeping alone was strange now.

Then he heard a knock on the door and got up, walking over and opening it. James stood there in his dark pyjamas, smiling lovingly and greeting him with a quiet, "I couldn't sleep."

Kendall took his hand immediately and tugged him inside, shutting the door. "Neither can I," he whispered, kissing him quickly before guiding him over to the bed and lying down on the mattress. It was so soft under him that he felt himself sinking and panicked for a moment. But then James was holding him and he could relax again. "Did your mentor tell you?" he asked. "About coming with me?"

James nodded. "I can face it, but I think we should sleep."

And, because it was easy to do so in each other's arms, even in these now unfamiliar surroundings with threats hanging over their heads, they slept all night.


	18. Electric Fence

**Brand new chapter! :D hope you like it!**

District 12 was like a foreign land in some respects.

When Kendall had arrived with James, after their brief stop in District 11, nothing had seemed out of the ordinary. They'd stepped out onto the raised platform they'd built at the train station, and he'd seen all his friends, his neighbours, his family, and people he only knew by name or face, all waving and cheering for him. He had to wave and smile back, so unbelievably happy to be back with them.

But then he noticed their faces, when the applause subsided and he was asked to say a few words on how much this district and its people, and James, all meant to him. They all looked somewhat worn out, and high strung. Tense. He saw hatred in their eyes. Was it for him? His speech ended much earlier than he meant it to as he muddled up what he'd planned to say on the way over and just smiled, thanking them all again before practically leaping off the platform with James. When he found Logan and Carlos and his mother and Katie, he felt as though he would simply collapse with relief. He clung to them and held James' hand tightly with the other, and they left the crowds. The Peacekeepers looked different than normal.

"Logan," Kendall whispered, before they could say anything else to one another. There was time for a reunion once they were in the safety of their new home in the Victors' Village. "What's going on?"

"Rebellion," was his grim reply, before they passed through the gates of the village, and were safe. For now.

That was two weeks ago.

Kendall didn't go into the woods as often anymore. The laws were stricter, he'd been told, but that wasn't the reason. He went there if he wanted some peace and quiet, when he needed to escape from everyone, even James. He didn't need to use it to hunt anymore. He had more money than he would ever need, and spent it on food and gifts for his family. Carlos would never take any of his money. He signed up for work in the mines early.

Kendall felt somewhat dirty when he bought things in front of people. Only a few weeks before he'd been one of them, desperate and willing to do anything for a meal. Now he had no issues of that kind, and it drove him demented. Wishing for himself to suffer seemed so stupid and childish. But he couldn't help himself. He felt as though the Hob being burnt away was his direct doing. The old sellers, some at least, had found other places to sell their items. But it wasn't the same. Nothing was the same.

"People always stare at me when I'm out here," James said softly to Kendall one afternoon as they walked home, hand in hand. They made sure to always be intimate out in public, just to be safe. Kendall carried the bag of groceries over his back, point blank refusing James' help with it. "It makes me a little uncomfortable sometimes."

"I know," Kendall sighed, speeding up just a little bit when he caught sight of the shiny white helmet of a Peacekeeper. "It's because you're not from here. The place is much smaller than Eleven, they're used to seeing everybody grow up. People don't normally just appear."

"It's impossible to know everybody in Eleven," James commented as they turned, walking into a part of District 12 much greener and cleaner than the Seam. It often frightened him. "It's just too vast. A little intimidating sometimes, admittedly. I find this place to be a lot . . . I don't know how to say it."

"Well, when you figure it out," Kendall teased as they stepped under the railing engraved with 'Victors' Village'. "Let me know."

James rolled his eyes, squeezing Kendall's hand and tugging him closer. "I guess the best way of putting it is that there are less places for things to be hidden."

"That's not always a good thing," Kendall said grimly as he unlocked the front door of the house and they stepped inside. Only two of the twelve houses in this estate were occupied; his and Gustavo's. It was a ghost town otherwise. James claimed he liked the silence and would often go exploring the empty houses, though they were all the same as the one he lived in. His own family, though without him, and taken his house and earnings in Eleven.

"Mom, we're back!" Kendall called as he locked the door again, walking into the kitchen and setting the grocery bag on the counter. He looked around as he opened up the bag. "Mom?" He called. "Katie?"

"They must be gone out somewhere, Ken," James said as he helped him unpack the groceries and put them all away safely. The two cut up some slices of bread and cheese and put them on a plate, both a little peckish and now with plenty of food to spare. "It's Sunday."

"Oh, yeah," Kendall chuckled a little, rolling his eyes. "God, I'm scattered. And that means Carlos isn't working today, Logan's probably with him." He paused in the doorway as he held their plate of food in his hands. "They seem to be very close lately."

"I guess they bonded while you were gone," James said as he walked ahead of them, the two heading up the stairs and turning off into Kendall's room. "Does Logan have a lot of other friends around?"

"No, not really. He stopped going out and stuff after the explosion." Kendall sat on his bed and put the plate on the dresser, giving a little sigh. "He said it was because he had more responsibilities at home now, but I think deep down he didn't want people to see him with his bad leg."

"It must have been difficult for hm."

Kendall nodded, sighing and lying back on the bed, kicking off his shoes. James did the same and lay with him, arm draped loosely over his waist as they faced each other, foreheads almost touching. "I love you," Kendall murmured softly against him, before pressing their lips together.

"I love you too," James pulled back to reply briefly, before diving back in and kissing him eagerly. They kissed with the same breathless manner as they had back in the caves in the arena, where they constantly felt as though their days, and their time together, were numbered. Although they were safe in their new home, they felt that same desperation and anxiety now as Kendall wound his arms tightly around James' pressing himself on top of his body adn James held him back just as tightly.

"Nobody's around," Kendall blurted out suddenly, cheeks flushed. "I-I mean, nobody's going to be back here for a while . . ."

James seemed to take a few seconds to understand what he was saying. His eyes widened a little and then he grinned, hands lightly stroking Kendall's hips, where his shirt had ridden up and his open jacket lay fanned out behind him. "You're right. They're not."

Kendall took a deep breath and let it out, smiling back shyly, he leaned down and kissed James again. But this time, he let it happen and took his time, movements lazy as he let his mouth open up just a little. He let out a weak little moan as James' tongue prodded against his and he felt the uneven puff of breath as the brunet chuckled. Kendall sat up quickly, still straddling James' waist, and tore off his jacket, tossing it over his shoulders. Then he pulled his shirt off and did the same, resting his hands lightly on James' chest as the brunet stared up at him. He blushed, biting his lip and unable to help letting out an awkward little giggle. "Y-your turn."

James grinned, sitting up a bit. Kendall took his hands off his body and gave him room to pull his shirt off. Instantly Kendall caught sight of his tanned and, despite his previous malnourishment, toned body. His hands spread across it immediately as he began to leave quick and light kisses along the brunet's neck. He heard James grunting and moaning breathlessly as his hips rocked up, felt his hands on his trousers, opening them before tugging them down, finger slipping under the waistband on his underwear to pull that down too. He felt the cool air of the room instantly, stiffening up just a little. But then he hopped off James and stood on the floor, tugging his clothes off completely and leaving them pooled on the floor. James' eyes burned holes in the skin until he felt the overwhelming urge to cover it. "Stop staring at me!" he demanded at last, kneeling back on the bed.

"I can't help it," James said softly, leaning forward and kissing him. Kendall kissed back, hands resting on James' thighs. One slipped a little and he felt a very noticeable bulge in the brunet's pants. "You're gorgeous."

Kendall's cheeks turned red and he bit his lip bashfully. "Okay. . . well, um, let me see you now, come on."

James stripped off quickly, barely giving Kendall a chance to glance at him before grabbing his hips and tugging him down on top of him, rolling them over so he was on top and the blond's slim legs were sprawled on either side of his waist. "You're pretty gorgeous too," Kendall teased, hands slipping around his neck and running through his hair. "I'm a lucky guy, huh?"

"You know it," James laughed, before sticking his fingers in his mouth for a few seconds and slipping them down between Kendall's legs. He gasped as he felt himself being penetrated by James' finger. It stung a little, but he gazed up at James' face and clung to his shoulders and he still felt more safe than he ever had. As cliché and ridiculous as it sounded.

James wiggled a second finger inside of him and began to spread them apart, Kendall moaning and pushing down without even thinking about it. His back arched and he felt his face begin to grow hotter and sweatier. "I need you, Jay," Kendall gasped, hands tightening on James's shoulders, fingers digging harshly into his skin. He quickly loosened his grip, fearing he was hurting him. "Please."

James nodded, looking flustered as he tugged his fingers out of Kendall and positioned them better, Kendall's legs back balancing properly on James' hips. He felt sort of smaller this way, and very exposed. His cheeks flushed as he felt James moving closer, kissing him very gently. Then he pushed inside, and instantly the burning sensation sped up his body and he let out a groan of pain. "I'm sorry," James murmured, big hands placed tenderly on his waist as he kissed him again. "I don't want to hurt you . . ."

"I know," Kendall breathed heavily, clinging to him as his toes curled and he tried to relax his body. The tense feeling didn't help. He took a deep breath and let himself go slack, and suddenly, he felt okay. "Go."

James began to rock his hips, without much movement at first. It was only when Kendall moaned in pleasure and rocked back against him that he began to properly pull back and sink back in. Kendall moaned louder, head thrown back against the pillow. For the first time he noticed how soft it was, and now really wasn't the time to be focusing on something as pointless as that. This was the greatest he'd ever felt when, to put it so crudely, he was being pounded into.

Their hips jutted together roughly, without much of a rhythm. Their bodies glistened with sweat as they tried harder to put some flow into their movement. Kendall's hands slid across James' back as he panted and moaned against his ear, feeling hot lips on his neck. It wasn't perfect, not by a long shot. They hadn't experienced something like this in such a long time. But it felt blissful, and right.

That is, it did until the door burst open and Carlos and Logan appeared in the doorway. Kendall and James froze, Kendall's nails digging slightly into the brunet's back. He winced but said nothing. However, he did quickly pull away and out of Kendall, making him wince as he tugged the blanket over their naked bodies. The room suddenly felt much colder.

"_What_," Logan hissed through his teeth, fists clenched tightly around his cane, "is going on?"

Kendall and James glanced at each other. James looked as though he was about to collapse. Though Kendall imagined he would feel a similar way if he'd just been caught fucking one of his hosts' younger brother. Even if they were an item. At last Kendall sat up, grabbing James' underwear and handing it to him, before putting on his own. They both sat sheepishly at the edge of the bed. And eventually, Kendall smiled awkwardly and decided to respond with, "Nothing . . .?"

"Nothing?!" Logan roared, cheeks turning red. Carlos just stood behind him, looking a bit awkward but also interested in observing what would happen. "You can't just look me in the eye and tell me this is nothing! And _you_." Glaring at James, fuming, he raised his arm. Kendall realised what was going to happen half a second before the cane came smacking down against James' leg. The brunet yelped in pain, scooting backwards but Logan only hit him again, and again.

"Logan, what the hell is the matter with you?!" Kendall shouted, jumping up and yanking his arm back, managing to pry the cane from his hand and brandishing it like his own weapon. James sat curled up on the bed, hands on his legs as his lips clamped shut in pain. "Jamie, I'm so so sorry," he pleaded. The brunet nodded and gave him a weak smile and a thumbs up.

"I think the real question is, what's the matter with you?" Logan snapped, trying to tug the cane back. The two jostled roughly with it for a moment, Logan crippled and Kendall small, both equally matched. "You're fifteen years old!"

"I'm almost sixteen," Kendall retorted. "I can do what I want with James. I love him."

"You're a child, stop acting so bratty!" Logan shouted, stomping his foot in frustration. And Kendall was the child here? "You shouldn't be doing that, it makes you, it makes you—"

"What, Logan? A whore? A slut? Well, guess what." Chest heaving, Kendall threw Logan's cane on the floor with a hard clatter. It may have dented the floor just a little. "You can't tell me what to do. You're not my father, in case you haven't noticed, I had to grow up when he got blown to pieces! Now get out of my room and if you ever hit my boyfriend again, I _swear_—"

"You'll shoot me with your little bow?"

"Oh, Logie. It's not a toy."

"Well, toys are for children."

"I am not a child," Kendall snarled. "In fact, I've done it before! And not with him, with someone else!"

James gaped at him. Carlos' eyes widened and he hurriedly shook his head, mouthing repeatedly, No, no! But Kendall just folded his arms, unable to help smiling grimly at the stricken look on Logan's face, and the fact that he'd finally shut up. "Yeah, that's right," Kendall continued wildly. "I let Griffin fuck me to help our family! Where's Griffin now, by the way? Did you hit him too? Are you gonna hit him?" And then he pointed accusingly right at Carlos, who squeaked nervously.

"Him?!" Logan glanced quickly between them. "You're kidding me."

"Oh, believe me, I'm not," Kendall said cockily, the same time as Carlos mumbled with his head hanging low, "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you . . ."

"Why does it matter if he knew or not?" Kendall demanded. "It doesn't make any difference to him. Except that he might get a bit more abusive with his dumb stick—"

"Kendall," Logan cut in sharply, though he was trembling slightly and he could tell that he was still totally shell-shocked. "Carlos and I are together."

"You . . . what?!" Kendall glanced between them, heart suddenly beating a lot faster. This awful shaken sensation was something he now regretted causing Logan to feel. "I . . . since when?"

"Since the Games started," Carlos said quietly, walking closer to them. Kendall quickly stepped away, hoping it might help him breathe a little better. It didn't. "Kendall, listen . . ."

"I've been home for two weeks," Kendall wheezed. "Two weeks. That's fourteen days. And you didn't tell me."

"We wanted to—"

"But you didn't! Why didn't you?! Did you think I'd get upset? Well let me tell you, it's a lot more upsetting knowing that two of the people I'm closest to have kept something like this from me."

"You kept Griffin a secret from me!" Logan argued. "And about your 'closeness' with James too! And Carlos!"

"That's different, you knew I was in a relationship with James, and I slept with Griffin when I was eleven, I didn't wanna tell anybody. Carlos didn't know either and I used to tell him everything!"

"But," Logan searched desperately for another argument as he spoke with a false confidence, picking up his cane and retreating towords the door, "I've known Carlos since you met him, and that was four years ago. You've only known James for a month, thereabouts. I don't care how you 'feel', I think you'd feel anything necessary if it helped you stay alive. You'd better go sleep with the rest of your team. You've known them just as long." And he slammed out of the room, Carlos giving Kendall and James a helpless glance over his shoulder before following.

"I can't believe him," Kendall fumed, sitting back down on the bed a little numbly. So numbly he only realised James had put a hand on him when he glanced to his left and saw it on his shoulder.

"Ken, there's no need to be upset . . ."

"Upset? No, I'm pissed off! Who the hell does he think he is, judging me like that? He's my brother, not my grandpa! And when he had the audacity to keep his relationship with Carlos a secret from me—"

And on he went, James listening patiently and consoling him when he got so angry that for a terrified moment, he thought he might begin to sob. Logan had said he was proud of him, that he always had been. Was that really going to change just because of a boy?

Regrettably, as time went on, it seemed that it would.

Logan didn't let up. Every day or so, some form of snarky comment would slip out of him, usually about James, or sex, or the Capitol changing people. More often than not Kendall merely scoffed at them, because it was just so far from the truth (at least, he thought it was). Others were just cruel, and made him wanted to kick things and scream in rage because that wasn't him, why couldn't he see that? He was still the same Kendall.

But when he woke up in fits of terror in the middle of the night with clouded images of Wayne and fire and blood and spears, he wondered if that was the case. Either way, he felt that this criticism was unnecessary and it would never be Logan's place to point out every flaw in him. Nobody had the right to do that.

Katie and Jennifer easily sensed the tension between the two boys, and tried to ignore it by treating the household as though nothing had gone wrong. They kept up a cheerful and homely appearance for the other people living in District 12 in particular. The place was already tense enough as it was.

One afternoon, Kendall snapped.

"I'm surprised you two aren't in a bush somewhere, consummating your love," Logan jeered, tapping his cane on the floor, which he already knew irritated Kendall to no end. "Or did you get bored with him?"

Kendall flung the book he was reading across the room at him and it smacked off the wall by his head. Then he got up and stormed out of the room, ignoring James' calls for him to come back, left the house and slammed the front door hard. He hurried down the path and out of the Victors' Village, feet stinging with the force of his footsteps and chest heaving because he was just so frustrated it brought him close to tears.

"Afternoon, Kendall," one or two people greeted him, he barely acknowledged it before he was out of the merchants' area and into the Seam. As soon as he stepped on the dirtier, rougher road, he felt at home and wanted to fall to his knees and kiss it. However, he didn't and took his time walking down the dirt road until it sprung up into an almost endless spread of green grass and little white and yellow flowers; the Meadow. The tall electric fence broke it off at the end, spreading as far as the eye could see. He jogged across the grass and crawled over to his usual spot. As always, the fence was switched off and he slipped underneath it and sped off into the woods. The trees closing in on him should've made him feel more claustrophobic than he had out in the open. But he finally felt sort of safe.

He scaled a tree with branches that would totally conceal him from view and settled down. Back against the trunk, he shut his eyes and just listened. He heard the faint sound of a rustling of the wind through the leaves. A bird chirped somewhere in the distance and quickly flapped its wings before disappearing into the distance somewhere. The bark scratched faintly against his clothes when he moved. When he opened he eyes again at last, he was momentarily blinded by the bright green light above his head. He glanced down at the ground and suddenly saw, for a fleeting moment, a glimpse of Stephanie's swollen body lying below him. He shut his eyes quickly again and slammed his hands over his ears, the sounds of the woods suddenly much more sinister. He swore he could hear screams and the clanging of weapons in the distance.

He must've dozed off into a fitful sleep at some point, because the next thing he knew, the green light was much dimmer and the air quite chilly. He quickly slid down from the tree, wondering how he'd managed to sleep through those images and even more amazingly, stay secure in his tree. But he decided to not question it and just hurried through the woods so he could go home and get some dinner. The fence came into view soon enough as the trees were replaced by only tangled grass and a few low shrubs.

Kendall walked along the fence, heading towards the usual spot where he wriggled underneath it, when he heard something and stopped, eyes widening. He listened carefully, his altered ear picking up a sound it couldn't do as easily before. But it was a sound he still knew very well, though he didn't hear it often. The fence had been switched on. It was fused with electricity.

He quickly stepped away, knees suddenly trembling. The fence was only switched once in a blue moon. Why was it switched on now?!

He suddenly looked around, breath beginning to quicken and palms starting to sweat. His head turned wildly back and forth, eyes darting between the trees. They knew he was here, they were trying to trap him, he'd be arrested, he'd be killed—

_Breathe._

Hand slamming against a tree, Kendall did, trying to calm himself down. It was getting very dark out and he knew he couldn't stay here overnight. Well,there was the option of sleeping up a tree. But if the fence had been turned on because he was on the other side, then somebody was bound to look for him either at the house or here. He would be caught out if he didn't get back into the Meadow.

So, he obviously couldn't go through or under the fence. Maybe he could go over. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he took another calm and soothing breath, and began to walk along the fence. He looked carefully at all the trees he passed that were close to the fence, to see if there were any branches he could jump from. When he found one, he cracked his knuckles and wrapped himself around the trunk, scooting up easily and sitting on one of the larger branches. He crawled along and climbed up until he reached the right branch, slowly crawling further out from the trunk and praying that the branch was strong enough to hold him.

At last he was past the fence, and glanced down at the ground. He grimaced when he saw how far away it was. This was bound to hurt. But he had to get it over with. The forest was pitch dark behind him, only a few faint lights coming from the district ahead. He swung down until he only hung onto the branch by his hands, legs dangling down, and then he let go. His feet and legs stung hard, pain jarring up into his spine when he landed on his feet and then collapsed in a heap on the ground. Hissing in pain, he managed to crawl away from the fence before shakily getting to his feet. He let out a faint whimper when he tried to stand on his right foot and felt an unbearable pain in his ankle. Cursing, he limped across the grass and back onto the path. It would take him a little while to get home, but at least he was out of the woods. Literally.

He was panting and too warm when he finally reached his house, opening the door and slumping inside, shutting it after him. He heard voices in the kitchen; unfamiliar ones. He took a deep breath and hung up his jacket on the rack, before taking a deep breath and limping into the kitchen, beaming. "Hi, everyone!" he greeted. "I'm back!" He spotted the two Peacekeepers standing with their helmets off immediately; a man and a woman, both looking ruthless and stern. Logan sat in the armchair by the fire, looking up when he saw him with wide eyes. His face was very pale. Carlos stood beside him, while James and Katie stood by the kitchen counter, and his mother at the table.

"There, there he is," his mother said immediately, smiling at the Peacekeepers. "I told you he'd be back very soon." She smiled sweetly at Kendall. "Hello, sweetie. How was your walk? Do you want some dinner?"

"Oh, dinner sounds wonderful," Kendall grinned, sitting at the table. "My walk was pretty good, except being the idiot I am, I didn't realise my laces on my left shoe were undone, and I went flying. My ankle's killing me." As his mom got up to walk to the oven he looked over at the Peacekeepers. "You were looking for me?" he enquired innocently, eyebrow raised. "Why?"

"We were just . . . concerned," the male Peacekeeper said at last, looking a bit sheepish but very suspicious. The woman only seemed suspicious, frowning hard in his direction. "Concerned about your whereabouts. Lately there's been a lot of . . . unrest. Rule breaking and such."

"Well." Kendall stared them down, folding his arms. "You don't have to worry about that here." His mother placed a bowl of steaming food in front of him and he cleared his throat. "Thanks, Mom. Now, if you'll excuse me . . ."

"Right. Sorry to disturb you all. Enjoy your evening." The two walked briskly from the room, Carlos following to make sure they left without a problem. Once they heard the door slam, Logan got up and limped over to where Kendall was eating his dinner, snatching his fork before he could take another bite.

"Logan!" Kendall sighed in aggravation. "I'm starving, can you not just let me eat?"

Logan only sniffled and wrapped his arms around Kendall, hugging him tightly against his chest, so tightly he let out a helpless little squeak. "I'm so sorry," Logan wailed. "I was so so worried about you when you didn't come home and I realised I've been such a jerk! I don't care what you do with James, you're growing up and I just need to accept it and didn't mean to put you down so much—"

"Logan," Kendall interrupted sharply. "It's fine, really. We can just forget about it, okay?"

"Are you absolutely sure?" Logan pleaded.

"Yes! Now please let go before my meal comes back up."

Logan did and Kendall took his fork from him. The older boy still gazed at him with forlorn eyes, until Kendall gave him a warm smile and said, "Love you, Logie," before diving back onto his food. Logan gave a happy little sniffle and returned to his seat, after returning the sentiment.

"So," Jennifer some up suddenly, folding her arms and glancing pointedly at James, then at Kendall, "What exactly did you two do?"

"Mom!" Kendall groaned. "Shush!"

The others laughed and left him to finish his stew in peace and gulp down a mug of tea. However, once he finished, they all sat at the table and demanded to know where he'd actually been. "I assume you went into the words," Jennifer said grimly. "But why did you take so long to get back? And what actually happened to your ankle?"

"I landed badly on it, I had to jump from a tree," Kendall replied quietly. "They turned on the fence."

"What?!" Carlos slammed his hands down on the table, vein throbbing in his forehead. "They can't do that, they've never switched on the fence! We don't have the funds to power that thing!"

"Well, they seem to have the funds for it now," Kendall sighed. "This whole place has changed."

"You mean it's becoming like the other Districts," James said mournfully, stirring his teaspoon in his own steaming mug. When they all turned to him with questioning glances, he shrugged and added, "Well, you'd never find an electric fence in Eleven with no power. They really enforce the laws there. I guess it's always been really lenient here?"

"Yes, always," Jennifer told him. "For as long as I can remember, of course we never thought we had it easy because of all the problems with poverty and sickness. But as far as the law goes we have things going for us. I would say it's because the Capitol never cared enough to send new Peacekeepers in, or enough funds to actually keep those laws and boundaries in place."

"They certainly care now," Carlos spat. "It's only making people angrier."

"They're adding fuel to the fire," Katie agreed, with surprising wisdom for someone so young. Then again, she,d already proved herself several times in that department. "Forcing people only makes them want to disobey more, doesn't it?"

"Yep." Kendall squeezed his empty mug just for something to grip onto. "It sure does." And that was exactly what he was afraid of.

He decided not to go back to the fence again. At least, not for a long time. So he spent the next few days inside the house, sitting with his bandaged ankle and trying to read, or just talking. It wasn't a break, only a bad sprain. At least one thing positive came from the whole ordeal. And, of course, the fact that he and Logan were okay again. That would be worth anything.

"I think the trick with this is not to let them get too hard and rubbery," Kendall commented idly. He and James were in the kitchen, bent over a saucepan containing four whisked eggs, some milk and butter. Kendall stirred it with the wooden spoon, watching the liquidy substance part to reveal the harder parts already sticking to the pot underneath. "Maybe we can put something else in at the end?"

"Like some cheese?" James suggested. "Or greens, maybe?"

"We can see when we finish," Kendall replied, giving it another stir. He heard a knock on the door and glanced over his shoulder. "Huh. I'll get that, you keep stirring."

James nodded and took the spoon from him, and Kendall left the kitchen, wiping his hands idly off his trousers as he headed down the hallway to the front door. He unlocked it and opened it up. His jaw dropped. Standing in front of him, a shiny black car parked at the end of the path behind her, was a woman clothed in a frilly orange dress with matching false eyelashes. Well, he never thought he'd see her again. "Kelly?" Kendall exclaimed.

"Hello, sweetie," she trilled, waving a manicured hand in his direction. He saw it only as foreboding.

"What are you doing here?"


	19. Convince Me

**Here's the new chapter! Enjoy it, it's not very long but I'm setting up the rest of the story :P**

Kendall found that he was developing a dislike for travelling in trains.

He and James were sitting together in a carriage with Kelly and Gustavo. The massive train was stopping at every district, one by one, but their carriage would not be opened again until they reached the Capitol. He'd managed to say a brief goodbye to his family. He hoped it wouldn't be too long before he saw them again.

Kelly had told him they were going to a ball in the president's luxurious mansion, with the past victors of the Games. It had never happened before that he could remember, considering the event was mostly being shown on television. "I think it's because of the surprise of this year," Kelly chirped to the three of them. "President Moon wants to show the three victors off in style, and you'll meet lots of new people!"

Gustavo gave a loud, irritated sigh, sipping from a bottle of beer. An unusually light drink for the man.

"You probably know a lot of them Gustavo, don't you?" James asked.

Gustavo grunted and nodded. "Most of 'em."

Kendall hadn't really been planning to speak much this whole journey; he was too absorbed in what the trip might mean. But he couldn't help himself. "What are they like?" he asked at last.

Gustavo folded his arms and thought for a moment. "Well," he said. "Some of them are pretty fucked in the head, but that's not surprising, is it? Some of them are vicious. Some are petty normal but honesty I think it's all an act. Nobody comes out of those arenas as an average person."

"I guess that's a fair point," James sighed as they began to slow down. Kendall had been counting the stops; they were now at District 8. He knew the past victors were being hustled onto the train, video cameras shoved in their faces as they had. He wondered how many there were.

The train journey, despite the eleven other stops, was quite short, very speedy. They were greeted at the station by flashing cameras and adoring shrieking fans, before being ushered into a few cars and driven to the president's mansion. He found himself in a bit of a daze as he was escorted to his new sleeping quarters, and left alone in the unnerving silence.

Kendall's new bedroom was quite spacious, and comfortable looking. There was no order to these rooms by district, and so James was right next door. Kendall had been mildly surprised when they weren't given a room together, but he didn't question it. He could go in and see James later on anyway. He doubted he could face sleeping alone.

When Marcos and his prep team of freaks arrived, Kendall let out a huge sigh of relief. "I'm so happy to see you," he said to them, as if that wasn't obvious, as he returned their warm hugs and little cheek pecks. "Familiar faces and all."

"It's nothing," Marocs said to him, smiling. "Now, I'm going to be stepping aside while the prep team fix you up. I imagine they'll be having a field day."

"Oh Kendall," Brooke wailed. "Your hair desperately needs a trim! What have you done?!"

And so they began. Kendall sat and obeyed them patiently while they bathed him, scrubbing him clean, did yet another de-hairing project on him from head to toe, and cut and styled his hair. By the time they were finished, TJ hurriedly sat Kendall down in his underwear in front of the little vanity they'd set up before glancing at his watch and groaning, "The ball starts in thirty minutes, how did we let time slip away?!"

"Don't worry, we have plenty of time," Kendall reassured them quickly. "You guys are great with beauty stuff, it won't take you long, right?"

He saw the visible relief appear on their faces. "Right, you're right," Brooke grinned, opening her makeup set. "We'll just be doing a little job on you, nothing too fancy. You'll positively glow!"

As they often did, they simply applied a bit of shimmer to the apples of his cheeks and a bit of black eyeliner to make his eyes 'pop' as they said. Or squealed. Finally, they began to tidy up, and he was handed over to Marcos. "Here," Marcos said to him, hanging him the clothes. "It's just a simple suit, nothing flaming. But it'll fit you well. Put it on."

Kendall did, buttoning up the white shirt and tugging up his trousers, tying the belt and letting his stylist slip the jacket onto his shoulders, buttoning it up part of the way. Marocs added in a bow tie and stopped back to let Kendall slip into his shoes. As he looked in the mirror he saw that it was indeed just an ordinary suit. But he felt as though it were much more. It might have been because of who made it for him. He really had no idea. Maybe he was just getting a big head. "Thank you," he beamed at the four of them, hugging them. "Even if I don't enjoy tonight, at least I'll look good!"

A knock on the door startled the five of them. Sandy hurried over to answer it, and Kendall's heart dropped when he saw President Moon enter the room. Had he been to visit all the victors? He prayed and prayed that he had.

Then he remembered the arena and felt himself growing hotter, angrier. He wanted hm dead. He'd somehow almost forgotten that.

"You've come a great job," Moon said to the stylists. "But I think you're done here. I came to escort Mr Knight down to the ballroom. You are excused, you can clean up later."

The four of them left the room, Marcos stopping to give Kendall a comforting smile before he left. Kendall was left standing in the same room as the man who'd caused, by association, essentially every problem he'd ever had in his life. The starvation, the prostitution, the nightmares and the guilty conscience. Not to mention that sprained ankle.

"I must say," Moon said at last, tone cold and a little patronising, "They've down a magnificent job. You look radiant."

Kendall cleared his throat, a little uncomfortable. "Thank you." He could've returned the compliment, but honestly, all Moon ever wore were white suits. It was no different tonight.

"It must be strange for you to be back in the Capitol so soon."

"Yes, it is. I didn't expect to be back here until the Victory Tour, and that's months from now."

"Well, we just couldn't bear to wait before showing your victory to the country. Or should I say, your victory and two others'." Suddenly his tone darkened. "Three winners. It's very unusual, don't you think?"

"It is . . . but surely anything can happen in the arena. Every year has its surprises."

"Surprises that don't defy the number one rule."

"You let us live," Kendall snapped. "We all came out of that arena, we were permitted to do so."

"You were permitted by a soft hearted and feeble head Gamemaker. Carlton Banks, I'm sure you're similar with him?"

Kendall nodded reluctantly and Moon continued. "Well, I can assure you he won't be taking part in any Games again. Or taking part in, well, anything again. He's retired early, you could say. His negligence will not be tolerated. Because of him, the whole system has fallen out of balance."

And because Kendall just couldn't help himself, he replied with, "I don't see how."

Moon stepped closer to him, eyes narrowing. He reeked of roses, the smell making his stomach churn. "Listen to me carefully. You and your little friends have created a spark, a blaze. Why do you think we started enforcing stricter rules on your pathetic excuse for a district? To try and contain the blaze before it gets out of control. Unfortunately we haven't been hugely successful, I feel I should share with you. Other measures may have to be taken."

"What are you doing to do?" Kendall demanded, more terrified than ever when his voice came out as a feeble child's.

"I won't tell you everything. I feel that you and I should agree not to lie to each other, but that doesn't mean I cannot choose to withhold information, just as you have done."

"What do you mean?"

You and the boy from Eleven. That little game you played to stay alive. It was clever, I admit, very resourceful."

"It wasn't a game," Kendall protested. It's still not. I love James."

"Yes." But Kendall could see in Moon's eyes that he wasn't convinced. "Thing is, your undying love for one another is what kept you alive, and is what might just keep the blaze contained. You weren't intending to start a revolution, were you?"

"No!"

"That, I do believe. Doesn't mean you weren't trying to save your own skin."

"I wasn't—"

"Keep up the charade for your country, boy on fire," Moon cut in harshly.

"So I have to convince Panem that James and I love each other?" Kendall said doubtfully. He'd been so sure that they did believe it. However, he understood that just because it was true, and he believed it with all of his heart, it didn't mean everybody else saw that.

"Of a sort. But more importantly, you have to convince me. Now," Moon suddenly smiled, holding his arm up. "Take my arm, and we'll go to the ballroom. The other victors are waiting for you. And the cameras."

Knees quivering, Kendall rested his hand on the crook of Moon's elbow and they left the room. They walked down the long hallway, past more bedrooms just like his, and down the wide extravagant staircase. Moon didn't say anything else, so neither did Kendall. He suspected that any question he asked would be met with a cold silence.

"President Atticus Moon," a voice suddenly announced on his left, as they stepped through a huge doorway. "And the third victor of the 74th Hunger Games, Kendall Knight!"

As soon as he could, Kendall slipped his hand from Moon's arm and made a beeline for where he saw Mercedes and Gustavo standing. "Hey," he breathed. "Where's James?"

"Talking to some people from Eleven, I forget their names," Mercedes replied slightly dismissively. But Kendall felt oddly comforted around her. She looked beautiful and he told her so; she was dressed in a pale green gown, her hair in waves down one side of her neck, she kept running her fingers through it in aggravation. Gustavo was wearing a suit similar to his, looking much neater and sober than usual.

In whispers, Kendall quickly told them what Moon had said. As he did, their faces contorted into worried frowns. Gustavo gave a sigh, and at last said, "Don't tell James."

"I have to!"

"No, don't. He'll get paranoid, he has to think everything's okay. We all know he's the more loveable of you two, it'll be a breeze for him until he knows he's being scrutinised. Keep it to yourself."

Kendall sighed. "Fine . . . so should I go find him?"

"Let him come to you. Hmm . . ." Gustavo looked around. "Go help yourself to the buffet, and go mingle. There's a lot of interesting people here. Lose yourself. Belong."

Kendall was sure he could never belong.

The room was quite crowded, full of other important people besides the victors, as well as regular Capitol citizens. He spotted Kelly chatting to some people and considered going over, but he was sure she didn't count when it came to mingling. So he did as he was asked and took a plate of food from the buffet. The first three mouthfuls were sickly and pure agony. "Try the stuffed cucumber," a redhead girl said to him suddenly. She was very young; he immediately recognised her as Penny Lane from District 7. Her and her father had both won the Games decades apart; her reaping had been no coincidence. "It's delicious."

"O-okay," Kendall said, taking some. "Thanks."

She was right; it was, and suddenly he was able to finish his plateful without any trouble.

"Good evening," a smooth male voice murmured in his ear. Kendall turned around, jumping and eyes crossing as a tiny cake was held up in front of his nose. "Cake? They're filled with raspberry cream."

Kendall looked up into the eyes of this taller man, skinny with glasses and a curled handlebar moustache. It was Dustin Belt, one of the youngest winners ever. He was two years younger than Kendall when he won it, Kendall couldn't remember the year. He knew he'd gathered sponsors through his humour and sharp wit, then had been given a trident as a gift. Nobody stood a chance after that. Kendall gulped nervously but took the cake, because he loved raspberries, and ate it in one bite. "Thanks. It's nice to meet you." Then he reached out to shake his hand.

He gave the tiniest yelp of surprise when Dustin took his hand in the gentlest hold and kissed the back of it, smirking. "It's nice to meet you too, Kendall Knight. Very nice indeed."

"U-um . . ."

"I love the way they made you up. Very radiant. And your suit, it fits you _just_ right."

"I have a boyfriend," Kendall blurted out. He saw that one or more video cameras were directed on them and suddenly felt even more self-conscious.

"I know you do. No need to panic, blondie. I won't try anything . . . er, dishonourable." His hand was on Kendall's hip, so light he barely felt it.

Kendall's cheeks flushed rosy pink and he had to stare at the floor.

"Ahem."

Kendall looked up and grinned when he saw James standing next to them. Yep, the cameras were on them now. James cleared his throat again, wrapping an arm around Kendall's waist and tugging the shorter boy close to him, Dustin's hand slipping away. "Sorry to interrupt. I was going to ask Kendall for a dance."

"He's all yours," Dustin shrugged. He let out a chuckle, as though he knew something they didn't, before walking away, grabbing another of those cream cakes from the buffet table on his way.

"I'm so happy to see you," Kendall said softly, leaning up and kissing him. He closed his eyes and just let it happen. His head was full of Moon's words, his cold eyes, that false smile. He found himself holding onto James tighter. He felt like if he didn't, any second now one of them would be dragged away. What did Moon mean, other measures to contain the blaze? Why didn't he believe them? Maybe he was just so cold and cruel he found love to be an incorrect concept, especially in situations like theirs.

He pulled back and smiled lovingly at James, who grinned back but looked slightly puzzled. "Somebody's happy to see me," he chuckled, thumb rubbing lightly at Kendall's hip.

"You have no idea," Kendall said softly, tucking his head safely under James' chin. "Just hold me for a minute. I need it."

"I won't complain."

When Kendall's blissful minute was up, he took James's hand and led him around the ballroom to continue their mingling. It definitely wasn't his type of scene, and unnerved him quite a bit. But he had James by his side and he was all he needed.

Penny and her father struck up a conversation with them and he was happy to take part. They were both fun, neither of them seemed too crazy, too abnormal. Not that he would discriminate; later he spoke to Reginald Bitters from 3 who was most definitely not normal, and not sane. But he had this sweet smile and was interesting to talk to. Later in the night they found themselves back with Dustin and another victor from District 4; Kendall didn't know her first name, as she insisted on being called Ms Magicowski, or just Magicowski. He chose not to ask her why; she may have been old, but she seemed ruthless. Anyone who won the Games was ruthless.

It was hard to see Moon at times, but Kendall alway tried to keep an eye out for him on top of everything else. He stuck to James like glue. He kept reminding himself that they were in love. He didn't know why he felt he needed to. He was psyching himself out.

In a rare moment when his fingers weren't wrapped around James', and he was alone in the sea of well-dressed folk, Kendall turned and saw the president talking in a low voice to two other men. He didn't know how long they'd been talking; he hadn't been watching. He should have. One of the men nodded, took out a small phone, and began to talk into it quickly. They both had a military stance about them. He frowned and waited until they had left, holding James' arm. James was talking to Magicowski again, totally occupied. Kendall was sure it would only be a matter of time before Moon looked at him again. Kendall opened his mouth, and silently asked, "Well?" He hoped that nobody was watching.

President Moon pursed his lips. He gave a kind of patronising smile, and slowly shook his head from side to side, giving a little shrug. Kendall's heart dropped. It was the lack of knowing that brought on that cold dread in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

><p>It was the shaking of his head that confirmed it for him.<p>

Only half an hour after Kendall had left, the Peacekeepers suddenly became thin on the ground. Logan didn't know where they'd all gone. Maybe they were inside, maybe they were busy dealing with some issue he wasn't aware of, but it had all seemed very sudden and very strange to him. The somehow the news was passed around that a ball was taking place in the Capitol with all the past victors of the Hunger Games and it was being broadcast on television. So he sat alongside his mother and sister and they watched every moment, commenting on the occasional interesting outfit, and whenever they saw Kendall or James.

It came very suddenly to him that the president had his eyes in Kendall's direction a lot. He wondered if it was coincidence. But in at least two instances they were in the same shot, and Moon was most definitely watching him. His expression was somewhat blank, sort of cold. Then again, he often looked cold.

They were in the same shot again when it happened. Kendall glancing at the president, mouthing something very short. Moon shaking his head. That broken expression on Kendall's face. He wondered if he had been the only person to notice it.

A minute or two later, the broadcast was shut off suddenly. "Is there something wrong with our signal?" Jennifer quizzed, frowning. "That's annoying."

Logan stood up, grabbing his cane and limping towards the front foot. He opened it. "Katie, come here."

Katie got up and followed him obediently. He could've been wrong, of course. But he wouldn't take a chance. He gripped her shoulder and looked her straight in the eye. His father had always said he had an accurate instint. "I want you to go to as many houses as you can and tell as many people as you can, that I think the president is about to do something really terrible, and they should be prepared. I don't know what exactly, I just have a really bad feeling . . . please tell them."

Her eyes were wide, brow furrowed.

"I would go, but I can't move fast enough," he said quietly, swallowing. "It has to be you. And Katie, listen, if anything scary happens, come back here again straight away, do you understand?"

"Yes." She nodded, jaw set in determination.

"Good girl." Logan hugged her close, kissing her head. "Be a brave girl, okay?"

She nodded, then ran out of the house and sprinted off down the lane. Logan shut the door and turned to see his mother standing in front of him, hands clasped at her chest, face very white. "Should we get ready to leave?" she asked him quietly.

Logan sighed. With her eyes watching him closely, he suddenly felt a bit stupid, a bit paranoid. But he nodded. "Just to be safe. Only as much as we can carry comfortably."

She nodded and hurried out of the room. Logan limped into the kitchen, grabbing a bag and trying to pack food sensibly and resourcefully. He packed a couple of knives, and some matches, and a torch. He found anything else that might be useful and met his mother at the stairs. "Let's go," she said softly, taking his arm. He didn't know whether it was for her own support or to support him. The two left the house and hurried out of the victors' village.

He saw some people leaving their houses with similar luggage, or nothing at all. He heard the roar of an engine and saw three hovercraft s approaching. His heart sank. "Katie!" he roared.

There was a low whine as the first bomb dropped down. Then it was all utter chaos.

"Katie!" Jennifer screamed. The girl suddenly appeared beside them, clinging to her mother, and they ran.

"To the woods," Logan panted, limping and cursing his crippled limb. "We can hide out in the woods."

They crossed the meadow. He heard explosions and screams and running footsteps and was terrified to look back. As they neared the fence, he listened for a buzz and heard none. So perhaps them turning it on was only done to catch Kendall out. It was too late to think about that now. He made sure Katie and Jennifer crawled under first, quickly following before they took off into the trees. He saw fire as his home crashed to the ground. The Seam was up in flames. He turned away, letting out a muffled sob. "I can't believe it . . ."

The three slumped down when they found a clearing. They sat in silence, holding each other close as the explosions went on. It was too loud, all the sounds of the woods drained from his ears. Everything else drained from his mind.

He heard a voice suddenly. It was a familiar voice and he was startled out of this black hole when he remembered who it belonged to. He looked up and saw Carlos standing above him. He looked behind him and saw a small group of people. All shaken, all breathless. But all alive. He saw mainly people of the Seam, and a few merchants. Some people he noticed immediately were not present. The mayor and his family were among those. "You're all safe," he said numbly. He stared at Carlos with wide eyes.

The Latino gave a small shrug. "I kind of gathered them them up, organised them. They needed it."

"You're a hero."

"I guess so . . ." Carlos glanced over his shoulder. They could only see the smoky sky from where they stood. "I wish I could've saved more."

Logan nodded solemnly, and sighed. Tears could come later as he thought long and hard about each that was lost.

It was a child speaking up, holding her mother's hand, who caught their attention, "What do we do now?"

Carlos and Logan glanced around at the group, and saw that every pair of eyes was focused on them. They glanced at each other, joining hands, silently accepting their new positions. They had friends and family to protect now, and they would do their best to make sure they all survived. It was the least they could do.

It suddenly hit Logan hard in the face, that his brother wouldn't be returning here. He didn't know if or when he would see him again. But oddly enough, this was his second time being in that situation. This time he could push it aside until he had time to cope. Until he had time to think about something other than survival in this restless age.

He looked at Carlos, around at the group, and back at Carlos again. He knew that his boyfriend would know what he was talking about when he said, slowly with an air of confidence, "We head for District Thirteen."


	20. Danger

**Enjoy the chapter!**

Kendall had found it difficult to focus since President Moon had shaken his head at him not too long ago. He'd tried to spend the time socialising and laughing like nothing was wrong when all along his brains was spinning wildly as he wondered what could be wrong, and how long until it would be. He clung to James' hand every second he could; the warmth and firmness of it gave him the strength he needed, and kept him firmly anchored. The brunet still hadn't noticed snything unordinary, and Kendall still didn't intend to tell him. He wouldn't put him in danger if he could help it.

The secret was kept until as midnight drew closer, Gustavo beckoned him and James across the ballroom to a secluded corner far away from the more popular buffet tables. "Listen, boys," Gustavo said at last, clearing his throat and clasping his hands together. "I have to tell you both something." His voice was low, grim. "But, um . . . Kendall, first I think you should tell James about earlier."

"Oh." Kendall swallowed. "Okay . . ." He reached blindly for James' hand again, sighing in relief when he found it. "So, Moon came into my room before the ball started. Basically, he doesn't believe that our relationship was real. And he waned me to convince him that it was during the party tonight."

James gaped at him, hand tearing from his as he flung them in the air in exasperation. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Gustavo told me not to, he said it'd make you act all weird and paranoid and it wouldn't be convincing, and that it had to be me. B-but, I failed . . . he shook his head at me."

"When was this?" Gustavo asked suddenly, sharply.

"I don't know, over half an hour ago, I don't know exactly . . ."

"Okay." Gustavo took a deep breath. "Kendall, what I'm about to tell you won't be easy to hear . . ."

He froze. He felt James' arm around his shoulders.

"Someone contacted me a few minutes ago. Capitol hovercrafts attacked District Twelve. They dropped bombs down on the merchant district, on the Seam, all over it. I don't know anything about the survival rate, I'm sorry, all I know is that there's nobody left there alive—"

"L-Logan," Kendall choked, knees trembling. James held on to him tightly. "And Katie and my mom and Carlos, oh my god, please . . ."

"I'm so sorry," James said softly.

"Why would they do this? They didn't do anything wrong!"

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," a cold hearted murderer's voice sounded from the stage at the other side of the ballroom, "It is my pleasure to present the three victors of the 74th Hunger Games, who will now say a few words. Please welcome Mercedes Griffin of District One, James Diamond of District Eleven, and Kendall Knight of District Twelve."

The applause deafened him and made him dizzy. James kept his arm around him to guide him through the cheering crowds. A few hands patted him on the back or shoulder or even touched his face. He was repulsed by it all. Had there been any kind of warning before the bombing? The were coming closer to the stage. He wondered what kind of warning there had been. He tripped on the steps up onto the stage. Mercedes was frowning at him before walking forward to the microphone and beginning her speech. He heard the crowd laughing. He heard screams and explosions and scattering rubble and an endless roar of terror.

He kept seeing the faces of people he knew. Most were bloody. Some with blue lips, grey faces and unseeing eyes.

When James let go of him and moved forward to speak, Kendall had to stumble forward a step just to steady himself again. He saw James' mouth moving but could only hear incoherent whispers. What was he supposed to say? Would this be on TV? Nobody in district 12 would see it, alive or dead . . .

Suddenly all eyes fell on him and a hand on his back gently pushed him forward to the microphone. He clung to the stand, hands quaking. If he had any notable physical strength, perhaps the stand would've snapped in his hand.

"P-Panem," Kendall stuttered, eyes unfocused. Where was Logan now? "I-I won the Humger Games with the help of the two victors behind me. They mean a lot to me, um . . ." He saw them all staring at him harder and felt his face growing hot. He saw the bodies of his people scattered on the ground. "I-I . . . I . . ." He tried to take a breath. People were still watching. "I'm sorry," he whispered suddenly. He didn't know if it carried across into the crowds. He was coming undone in front of everyone. His family and friends were dead.

A man in the distance suddenly came to his attention. Everyone else was standing completely still, but he slowly began to lift his hand, his left one. He pressed the three middle fingers to his lips, and raised them to the sky. Then he whistled four notes in the otherwise tense silence. He saw the guards at the door moving towards the man. The crowd was parting to make room for them. They grabbed him and roughly hauled him from the room.

Kendall was yanked back from the microphone as he demanded, shrieked, "What are you doing?!" The past victors, some he recognised, some not, began copying the man's actions. Just like the reaping. But it was more had just a gesture of respect here. The guards couldn't take them all. He heard a gunshot from outside the room. They were shoved off the stage, back into the audience. The victors were slowly lowering their arms as more guards entered the room. The other guests looked around in fear and confusion, but nothing happened. At least, not at that moment.

Gustavo tugged Kendall ad James aside again, but this time he felt the tiniest wave of relief at it. Because no worse news could be delivered to him now. "Gustavo, what are we going to do?" he wheezed. "They're going to think that was planned, they'll think it was a r-rebel act, oh my god—"

"Calm down, shush," Gustavo whispered back harshly, gripping his shoulders. "Just neither of you panic, alright? I'll think of something."

"Something like what?" James asked doubtfully.

"I don't know," Gustavo admitted. "But something. Something to get that rebel idea out of their heads."

Gustavo left, murmuring to himself, and Kendall turned to James, hugging him close. "I'm so happy you're here," he said, biting his lip. "But . . . at the same time I'm not. You know?"

"Because it's dangerous?"

"Exactly."

"Yeah, I know. Me too."

* * *

><p>"The most important thing to remember," Carlos instructed in a slow and patient voice, "is to keep calm and relaxed, but at the same time keep your focus on your target. If you're too tense, you're bound to miss. But you can't relax too much that you let it get away. Make sense?"<p>

The audience of former 12 citizens nodded silently, taking it all in with open eyes and ears. Logan sat beside his mother and watched Carlos teach them how to survive in the woods. Hunting was the biggest priority, as it was a large group they had to feed. They didn't know how long the trip would be to District 13. And truthfully, they weren't sure if there would be anything there once they arrived, and if that turned out to be the case, they would just have to wing it from there and stay in the wild until further notice. Katie sat attentively in the middle of the group, most focused on Carlos' words, small spear clutched in her hand. He'd never been more proud of her. She would survive; that he was sure of.

Carlos left the group to spread out and begin, and moved to sit down beside Logan, cuddling close to him. "I think they'll do well," Logan said to him cheerfully. "What happens if they don't?"

"I'll go out and catch some stuff, it just might take a little longer. I set up some snares on our way, I can go back and check them in a little while for some backup."

"Good plan," Logan chuckled. "So we won't starve tonight." This whole scenario reminded him of Kendall in the arena. He sighed as he wondered where Kendall was now. It had been two days since he left the district. Since they both left the district. He had no way of knowing whether his brother knew. If so, he longed for a way to tell him everything was okay. Well, not everything but that he and Carlos and their families were okay.

They'd been sleeping in clusters on the ground, huddling together under the sparse blankets for warmth, with people being given weapons and taking watch in shifts. It was more for protection against wild animals than anything, although the fear of being caught by the Capitol was just as strong. Carlos had suggested that they might be done with the district now, that as far as they were concerned it was destroyed, irrelevant, and anybody who may have survived would die out in the woods anyway. How could they have a plan, after all? District 11 would be out of the question. And District 13 had been kept quiet for so long . . . Logan was eager to discover what was there now.

When they walked, they took frequent but short breaks so the children could rest. It was also for the adults' benefit, in truth, because they didn't want to tire themselves out too much. They knew the general direction and stuck to it. Logan, having always dreaded the thought of using his cane in public, now used it constantly and was so glad he'd thought to grab it on the way out of the house. The pain in his leg sent sharp stings up into his spine, up to his head, giving him a migraine if he strained it too much. Carlos always walked beside him without fail.

"Your leg kind of does us some good, actually," Carlos joked to him to try and cheer him up. "Yeah, it slows us down, but we're the leaders, so we're in front, so everyone else is slow too. Nobody can push themselves too much!"

"Except for me," Logan replied grimly, though at a prod in the side from Carlos, he began to laugh.

There were moments of grief when they remembered who had been lost, and what had been lost. It was easy to forget when you were just trying to focus on survival, that you had lost your home, your friends, your whole community. A whole lifestyle had just vanished forever.

When these moments came, many of them kept silent and just pushed them aside for later. One thing at a time, after all. That was the key to making it through this.

At some point, Logan noticed the trees beginning to thin out. The sunlight began to filter down more strongly, ground lighting up in gold and orange as the sun began to set. Their shadows danced long and stretched in front of them. Logan squinted as suddenly the trees disappeared altogether. He stopped, the group stopping with him, as the shrubbery and clumps of grass ended and broken stone tiles began to start, stretching out into a massive stone yard. It seemed to stretch for miles, broken up with patches of weeds and ruined buildings. But it was much less of a wreck than Logan had expected, given its destruction all those years ago. There were animals around. It wasn't devoid of life.

Then he heard footsteps and froze, clutching Carlos' arm and raising his cane just slightly, in defence more than anything. His people stayed silent behind him. From behind one of the crumbled pillars, a woman emerged, dressed in plain grey trousers and a shirt, her dark hair scraped back into a ponytail. As she stepped towards them, Logan glanced at Carlos and they both took a deep breath, before stepping onto the stone and advancing towards her. She stopped in front of them, grim as she asked, "Where are you from?"

"District Twelve," Logan told her quietly. "We were bombed. This is all that survived." And he indicated the group behind them.

"I see. And your names?" She glanced slightly at Logan as she asked, before adding, "Well, not you. I know you."

"Right. Um, this is Carlos Garcia."

"And what's your purpose here?"

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" Carlos said impatiently, catching Logan off guard. "Our whole district is gone. We have nowhere to live. We can be useful, you know. But right now we need help. That's our purpose."

"I see," she repeated. Then she gave them a warm smile, glancing at their party before opening her arms and saying, "Well, you'd better follow me then. Welcome to District Thirteen."


	21. Finale

**So here's the last chapter! It's pretty bad, very fast paced, rushed etc. but I honestly don't care a whole lot. I just want this story out of my life, I started to dislike it more and more as I continued…which is why I'm giving my readers who stuck with it an extra big thank you :P you guys keep me going.**

"The powers of the Capitol always knew we were never destroyed."

Carlos and Logan sat side by side in the conference room, hands held discreetly under the table. Around them sat District 13 officials, all dressed in the same grey shirts and pants, hair cut short or scraped back in low ponytails. The leader of the District stood at the head of the table, all attention drawn towards her, even as she reiterated information most of them already knew. She was President Claudia Hay and she was a woman to be feared, Logan was sure of it. But one thing was for sure; what she was telling him defied everything he'd known about the Dark Days since he was a child, and so he listened with bated breath.

"They also knew that we had — and we still have — enough nuclear power at our disposal to wipe them out in seconds. You see, the Capitol may have territory and vast numbers of Peacekeepers, but when it comes to real weaponry and power they're nothing compared to us. That's why they stuck up a deal. They would leave us alone, pretend we didn't exist, tell the rest of Panem we were gone, and in return we wouldn't attack them. Of course it seemed fair, and the deal was made, but since then plans have always been in progress to rebel and take the Capitol down once and for all. This is what we've been working towards."

"And why did you take so long?" Carlos asked suddenly. "It's been seventy four years of child murder." Logan had to admire his courage, his determination to be heard.

"Well, although our district wasn't destroyed, we did sustain a lot of damage. It took time to build it up to what it is today. After that came the training, and all the planning. Long studies of the Capitol and its behavior to try and map out its weaknesses. And one of the most important things was making sure we didn't choose a wrong moment, when the people of Panem would hate us for it. Don't misunderstand, we know that there aren't many people who would be upset at the fall of the Capitol. But an entire new power taking over, maybe they would be. We needed a time where we were needed, and we would be accepted, because we truly are the better option."

"And that time is now?" Logan couldn't help asking cautiously. She glanced at him with her slightly cold eyes and for a moment he feared for his life.

She gave him what he could almost decipher as a smile and said in a clear determined voice, "Yes, the time is now. People are breaking out, since the end of the Games they're finally getting the courage to fight back. These three winners are a beacon of hope for them, a symbol that the rules can be broken. Especially your brother. He's the mockingjay. He's our sign that now is the time to attack. And trust me, it'll be soon. We have no reason to wait around any longer. Especially since all the victors are gathered in the Capitol. They were brought there for a reason, whatever that reason is, we'll be putting a stop to it. You can contribute or you can't. It's all your own conscience, it makes no difference to us. Now," she cleared her throat. "This meeting has ended. In one hour precisely I expect you all to be in the training area, where we'll review our plans. You are dismissed." She turned away as the room began to move, people shuffling as they stood, some straightening their clothes, and bustling out of the room without speaking.

Carlos and Logan stood up and left the room together, walking down the grey dimly lit corridor until they were alone. At last they glanced at each other and let their emotions run freely. "What do you think Moon has planned for the victors?" Logan asked Carlos immediately, frowning. "It can't be good, surely . . ."

"I'm not too sure," Carlos sighed, concern for Kendall already building up inside of him. James too, sure, but he and Logan both knew that Kendall was their first priority. However, all the victors had been through enough. They didn't deserve any more trauma in their lives. Surely that was their reward for winning the Games. "She was right, about Kendall being a symbol of hope. But they all are. Maybe he wants to break that image, maybe he wants to show the people that their victors aren't as strong as they think."

"Shit, a slaughter? He wouldn't . . ."

"Logan, I really don't know. We can only find out by tuning into their news stations. Those parties are still going on, if he plans on announcing anything, it'll be there, where they're all corralled in one room. All we can do is wait."

* * *

><p>"Excuse me, excuse me."<p>

Kendall and the others glanced up at the stage with wide eyes to see President Moon standing there in his crisp white suit, hands on the podium in front of him as he smiled out at the crowd. As usual, it never reached his eyes. "Thank you. Now, this has been an interesting few nights. Quite entertaining, I must say. And I'm here to finish it off with a little announcement."

The crowds waited with their breath held, some with hands clenched tight in fear.

"As you know, next year, the Seventy Fifth Hunger Games will take place. It will mark the third Quarter Quell and, I feel, a new era within Panem. I feel that we should celebrate, before this new age of Games arrives, with another game. Something of similar effect."

_Oh god._ Kendall felt James' hand squeezing his a little too tightly, but he gripped it back, heart beating faster and faster.

"We are going to have a showdown!" Moon announced, grinning. "A victors' showdown." He raised his hands to quieten the excited whispers and cheers of Capitol citizens. "This has been in planning for months now, and we decided that these celebrations would be a launch party of sorts. The showdown's starter date isn't yet decided, but I can assure all of you it will happen shortly. Tomorrow night we'll be broadcasting a special program about the rules, and the process of creating this exciting new Game! Deke Flickerman will be hosting it and speaking to Gamemakers, and some of our lovely competitors. Until then, thank you for your attention. And . . . Happy Hunger Games."

Kendall could swear he saw someone ahead of him in the crowd simply faint. Capitol people were squealing, congratulating the victors around them. He was trembling uncontrollably and his vision was starting to blur. James' hand acted as his anchor and pulled him back, and suddenly his vision was focused again and he could see who was around him. He saw the president leaving the stage, still grinning. He saw Gustavo at his side and other victors in front of him, in a close knit group. He saw a familiar face and grasped towards it weakly.

"Dustin." Kendall grabbed the older man's arm without even thinking about it, turning to face him. "What do you think about this?" James stood beside him, also watching the dark haired victor.

Dustin glanced around at the crowd of people gathering together to discuss what had just happened. Some were full of rage, some full of fear. Some seemed just numb. "This isn't a real game," he said in a biting tone, smiling grimly. "It's just a slaughter. He wants us all dead, he has to."

"It's my fault," Kendall choked, hands wracking back his hair, clawing at his scalp. "This is all my fault."

"No, no it's not," Mercedes said firmly, grabbing his hands and yanking them off his head. "It's all our faults, alright? We all had a part in breaking out against them, didn't we? I'm sure he's wanted the victors dead for a long time."

"She's right," Gustavo said grimly. "But so is Dustin. This is definitely nothing more than a chance to round us all up and kill us all. The only Victor will be Moon himself."

"So what do we do?" Kendall pleaded with him. "We can't just let this happen, there must be something . . ."

"We escape." They all turned towards James. "We leave the city," he continued in a low but urget voice. "We're so close to the Training Centre, we go there tonight, we take whatever weapons we can carry, and we escape."

"That's insane!" Dustin exclaimed. "We'd never manage it!"

Then something dawned on Kendall, and he chuckled, giving a small smile. "So what if we don't? We're dead anyway. I think it's a good idea." He reached out and took James' hand again. The brunet grinned at him.

"Okay, it's worth a try," Gustavo agreed, shrugging. *This party ends soon. I'll spread the word. We gather outside our rooms at midnight, got it?"

They all nodded and he turned around, disappearing into the crowd. Kendall and James' hands stayed intertwined for the rest of the night. Kendall wondered what would happen in this "showdown". He and James discussed it in low voices as they forced themselves to eat more food (they would need all the strength they could get later on), trying to figure out when how it would happen. Moon had said "shortly" so Kendall guessed probably within the next week. He certainly wouldn't send them all home beforehand. He was struck with a bout of sadness at the thought of never getting to say a real goodbye to his family. Even if they were planning their escape, there was no guarantee it would work. If he had known saying goodbye before this trip would likely be the last time he ever saw them, he certainly would have said more. He would have done more. The party ended and everyone retired to their rooms. Changing into warm clothes for the escape, Kendall lay flat on his back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, hands clasped over his stomach. He stayed that way until midnight arrived.

When the little clock beside his bed chimed, he slipped off the bed and put on his shoes, stepping outside his bedroom. The hallway was totally deserted for a few seconds. Then James emerged beside him. "Hey," he whispered, approaching him and taking his hand. "Are you ready?"

Kendall nodded. "I suppose so. It doesn't really matter either way."

Slowly, more victors emerged from their rooms, all gathering in a cluster by Jett and James' doors, but staying completely silent. They all came in twos and threes, only a minute apart at most. But eventually a few minutes passed, and nobody else cared. Kendall looked around, knowing this couldn't be everybody. There were less than thirty people there. Which seemed like a large group, but when you put it into perspective . . . "Where are the others?" he asked Gustavo softly.

"Not all of them are coming," Gustavo said grimly. "Some of them are just resigned to waiting for it to happen, and they're going to wait in their beds. But the rest of us, we're getting out of here."

Kendall sighed, nodding and buttoning up his coat. "Okay, let's get going. Stick together."

The group crept along the hallway and down the steps, eyes and ears open. Kendall expected the place to be swarming with guards, but there were none in sight. He didn't expect them to get to the door without being stopped, and yet somehow they did. It was very troubling, but going forward would always be better than staying inside. Luckily for them, the Training Centre was right by the mansion, and once they forced the front door open and made their way out into the dark street, it was only a minute's walk away. They kept close together as they walked; it was eerie how deserted the Capitol streets were at night. Not a soul in sight. It puzzled them a great deal, but they chose to push it aside once they arrived at the Training Centre.

"The elevator won't fit all of us," Gustavo said to the large group. "We'll take the stairs, that way we can stick together. Once you get down there, grab anything you think will be useful to you, anything you can carry. We have to be quick and efficient, got it?"

The group nodded silently and Gustavo nodded back, before leading them towards the steps to the basement.

When they got into the centre, they saw all the weapons out on display, as always. The room was dimly lit, but it was enough to see easily enough. Kendall made a beeline for the bow and arrows, grabbing a loaded quiver and a bow before following James to where the knives were. People flitted back and forth, gathering various weapons and whispering occasionally to each other with either a comment or a question. It seemed far too easy.

That was when a crowd of Peacekeepers burst through the door.

"Run!" Simon Lane roared, grasping his spear as the Peacekeepers began to fire, began to break their way through with their batons.

Kendall ducked out of the way before stabbing one hard in the leg, knocking it down and running after the others. He heard the ceiling quaking above them just before he heard a clatter of something being thrown, and three screaming victors were blown high by a Capitol bomb.

"We have to get out of here," Kendall coughed, choking on dust from the broken rubble as he stumbled along on search of freedom. The wall blew up to his right and he was surprised when the group veered in that direction and sprinted over. Kendall followed, finally noticing what they had seen; it led out into the underground travel system. Gustavo quickly climbed through the hall in the wall. Behind them bombs were still going off, shots were still being fired, and the people were still dying.

Suddenly Kendall heard a yell in a very familiar voice and looked back, gasping in surprise at seeing Marcos gazing right at him. It didn't make sense to him. But he wasn't alone, and he was bloody and beaten. He was on his knees, two Peacekeepers standing behind him. One raised his gun. Kendall screamed. He tried to go back, but James tugged him onwards. "MARCOS!" he roared, wailing and struggling as James yanked him out through the hole in the wall. A shot rang out, and one of the only people he'd ever trusted dropped to the floor, dead.

Kendall couldn't walk, so James hoisted him over his shoulder as the group sprinted through the system and up the steps into the street. They ran for over five blocks, before Dustin quickly beckoned them into a nearby alley, broke down the first door he found, and they all crowded inside what looked like back hallway of some sort of apartment block. James placed Kendall back on his feet. The blond was trembling, whimpering, but no tears were coming out. It only made him feel emptier than he already did. James wrapped his arms around him, pressing his lips to his forehead. "They brought him there just to show me," Kendall whispered, nails digging into James' shoulders. "W-why . . .?"

"They knew we were there," Penny said grimly, arms folded as she stood stiffly against the wall. "It explains how we got there so easily, doesn't it? It was a trap."

"But we got away," James said softly, trying to be positive.

"Not all of us," Penny snapped, and Kendall looked around, finally noticing her father's absence. Penny and Dustin were there, and Mercedes, and Gustavo, and James and himself. That was it. The rest had either gone another direction, or had been killed by the Peacekeeprs or the explosions.

"I don't see what they have to gain from that," Dustin said at last, twisting his spear idly in his hand. "They were planning on killing us either way, why didn't they just keep us locked in the mansion so they could make a show out of it?"

"They must be thinking of a different show," Gustavo said slowly, thoughtfully. "But as for what that is, I have no idea. For now, what we need to do is stay together and find somewhere to hide, maybe some clothes to disguise ourselves. It's our only chance."

* * *

><p>Carlos and Logan had separate rooms in the District Thirteen compound with their families, but much like when they lived in Twelve, they spent a lot of time together in one or the other. Today they sat in Logan's room, eyes fixed on the television in front of them. It was showing a broadcast of the Training Centre and its destruction. It then continued to show the bodies of dead victors, along with the faces of the ones left alive and missing, and the news broadcaster wailed at the devastation they were causing in an urge to disobey the president and his showdown. They were a danger to society and must be stopped at all costs. One of the shots made sure to show Marcos lying dead with an arrow in his back.<p>

"You don't really think Kendall did that," Carlos said hoarsely, gripping Logan's arm. "Do you?" Kendall hated the Capitol, they all did. But Marcos . . .

"Not a chance," Logan replied curtly, angrily. "It's a set up, it has to be, there's no other explanation. We have to talk to Hay about this, it must be what she was talking about before."

"You think this was the Capitol's plan?" Carlos glanced doubtfully at the TV screen.

"I don't know what their plan was, I just know damn well that this must have something to do with it, it's a load of bullshit." Logan stood up, wobbling a bit and gripping his cane tightly. "Come on, let's go see her."

The two made their way out of the room and down the hallway, in the direction of the main conference room. Carlos knocked briskly on the door before opening it up anyway and banging in, Logan following close behind them. Claudia Hay glanced at them from where she was deep in discussion with the other leaders. "I take it you saw the broadcasts?"

When they nodded, she gestured towards the empty chairs and they quickly slipped into two of them, sitting quietly. "Well, that victors' showdown was similar to what I expected. Now, the escape plan and the explosion weren't so similar. But I think I've cracked their plan."

"Which is?" Logan asked impatiently. It was difficult to stay polite in these circumstances.

"I think that they expected an escape plan. If they really wanted the victors to stay in the mansion, there's no way they would've made it all the way to the Training Centre unscathed. This is a way to turn the Capitol people against them, make them look like dangerous revolutionaries, just like the leaders of the Dark Days."

"You mean you guys?"

She nodded. "Anyone would be horrified at the image of Kendall's own stylist, who we all believed he loved, being killed by his own tribute. It's outrageous, it's cruel, it's terrifying and that's exactly what Moon wants. To build them up into monsters so that when they do get caught, people will welcome their execution and once that's done, the victors will be no more."

"But, you can't seriously think the Districts will—"

"I don't know what the Districts think. All I have are theories. What I do know is that this is our chance to act. We'll get as many of those survivors back as we can, while simultaneously taking down the city." She turned back to her men. "This is why I called you in here. Gather your troops, medical teams, everyone you need and proceed to your allocated hovercrafts immediately. We leave in six hours." And she turned away finished with them all once again. They hurried out of the room.

Suddenly Carlos was getting up and stepping quickly over to her, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned sharply to face him, gaze harsh. But he held his stance. "I want to go too," he said determinedly. "I'm fast a-and strong too—"

"I doubt you can use a gun," she said dismissively.

"I can learn."

"And you expect me to allow any of my soldiers to take time out of their own training to help you?.

"Well . . . No. But I–"

She cut him off, mouth upturned slightly. "Go to the training area outside, I'm sure someone will be willing to teach you the basics."

"Thank you!" Carlos hurried out of the room, Logan getting up and following him.

"Carlos, wait!" he yelled in annoyance, limping after him. "Wait! I want to go too."

"Logie, you can't go, you have a bad leg," Carlos said briefly, kissing him before turning off around the corner.

"I'm not useless!" Logan yelled after him, huffing. He turned around and saw Hay standing there, gulping and feeling his cheeks flush. "Um . . ."

"Tell me, Knight, what can you do?"

"Well, I haven't worked with anything advanced but I'm a healer. I'm good with that kind of thing. It runs in my family."

"I'm sure there's a place available for you on the medical team. You'll find them around the corner from the last living quarters."

"Okay, thank you. I'll go there right now." As Logan headed off in the direction Hay had sent him, he decided that he wouldn't tell Carlos where he was going. He clearly didn't think he was capable. Plus the younger boy was clearly busy; there was no need to. As he passed his own living quarters, he suddenly heard his name being called and saw his mother and Katie hurrying towards him. "Where are you off to?" his mom asked, frowning in concern. "Everyone's bustling about getting ready to go off to the Capitol, I don't know which way is up around here".

"I'm going to join the medical team and go with them," Logan replied steadily. "I want to help in any way I can."

"So do we," she replied, wrapping her arm protectively around Katie's shoulders. "He's our family too, you know. Sometimes I think you forget that."

"Of course I don't, I . . ." Logan sighed. "But isn't Katie a bit young? She's only twelve."

"There are children around here that age who've got rifles over their shoulders. She's well capable. Anyway, we'll only be dealing with injuries, we're not soldiers. We'll be fine. Please Logan, we want to go with you. We can't sit here helplessly anymore."

Logan glanced back and forth between them, wondering what to do. Then he nodded. "Alright . . . follow me. We'll go together."

* * *

><p>The hallways of the apartment block were quiet and deserted, small lights nailed into the walls. Dustin chose an apartment at random, trying the door and finding that it was unlocked. It was pitch dark when they slipped in. All Kendall could do was slump down on the plush sofa and shut his eyes, just letting it all wash over him.<p>

He realised he must have dozed off when his shoulder was shaken suddenly and he opened his eyes to see Mercedes above him. "Evening, sleepyhead," she said quietly. "The other guys tied up the homeowner, it's just one man. We're gonna stay here until we figure out what to do."

Kendall nodded, and felt foolish for not helping the other men. And yet somehow he didn't care a whole lot. He could still see Marcos' bloody face. "Are you alright?" Mercedes asked, sitting beside him. "The others are raiding the place collecting all the food, do you want anything?"

Kendall looked over and saw Penny piling up tons of food on the table and shook his head. "Maybe in a minute."

"That was probably hard to watch, huh?"

Kendall nodded, biting his lip hard. "Merc, he was such a good person."

"Yeah, well, it's always the good ones . . ."

Kendall nodded, sighing. "We can't stay here forever, can we? We'll have to move on."

"We will, they'll track us down if we stay still."

"Maybe we can disguise ourselves, I don't know. We'll have to conceal our weapons and that might be difficult, but we'd be able to move around and hopefully no one would stop us . . . it's worth a try, right?"

She nodded, glancing over at Gustavo. "I'll go talk it over with him, he's kind of our self-assigned leader. In the meantime, you get some food in you, you need it." She patted him on the shoulder and got up, moving over to Gustavo and beginning to discuss the plan with him in a low voice.

Kendall got up and walked into the kitchen area, where Penny handed him a plate of bread rolls, cheese and meats. He took some in his hands and ate it slowly, taking his time. He didn't have much appetite but he knew he would need his strength later on. As he was halfway through his roll, Gustavo walked over to him and lightly touched him on the shoulder. "Hey, little dog. Good plan."

"Thanks," Kendall mumbled, taking another bite.

"How about you go and start gathering some clothes up? The bedroom is just around the corner there, first door on your right."

Kendall nodded, finishing his food and walking into the bedroom as Gustavo instructed. His eyes immediately fell on the man tied up in the corner of the room. They had strapped him to the heater so he couldn't get away, and his mouth was taped shut. He had purple curly hair and tear stained cheeks and looked terrified out of his wits.

"You look like a cornered rabbit over there," Kendall said, giving a humourless chuckle and moving to sit at the edge of the bed, facing him. "Thing is, I'm not sure about the others, but I certainly don't plan on killing you. Just leaving you like this while we get away. By the time you get free we'll be long gone." The man stared at him fearfully and he continued. "If we are dangerous people, it was you who made us dangerous. Forcing us to kill other people just to survive, destroying our entire lives for your own entertainment, and now you're afraid of us? Why? Do you finally see the consequences of your actions, of your whole city's actions? If you treat us like animals, don't be surprised if we start acting like them. It's your fault."

The man continued to cry silently. Kendall sighed again. "I know, I know, you don't understand. You didn't do it intentionally, you didn't understand that we're people too. You watch us cry and hug our starved families but you don't really get it, it doesn't hit you that they're my family and I love them, the way you love yours: they're people too. We have fears and dreams and real emotions and so do you but you don't get it, because we're just props." He took a deep breath, composing himself. "A year ago, I would've felt unbelievably guilty about killing you, but I'm not that boy anymore. In fact, the boy I am now would probably enjoy it." He stood up. "But I've made my point, and I'm going to show it by letting you live. I don't owe you anything, and you know it." He caught sight of James walking into the room and reached for the rack of hats along the wall, choosing a woolen one and pulling it down over the man's eyes. He could breathe but not see, which was all he needed.

"I came in to give you a hand," James told him, closing the distance between them and kissing him briefly. "Let's be quick about it, yeah?"

Kendall nodded, stepping back from the man and opening the gigantic closet. They gathered sweaters and shirts and scarves and colourful trousers. The shoes they left as they were all different sizes themselves. But their own footwear wasn't particularly out of place. Kendall then grabbed a few hats and pairs of sunglasses and the two left the room. "This is what we got," James announced as he dumped it all on the coffee table. "Free for all!"

Fifteen minutes later, Kendall was kitted out in a leopard skin coat, purple scarf and fancy sunglasses and felt totally ridiculous. He let out a chuckle as James approached him wearing a shiny purple outfit with a black hat bulled down and sunglasses to cover his face. "Oh, you look very handsome," he said in the most serious tone he could manage, kissing him and squeezing his hands. "Simply spectacular."

"Guys, let's get going," Dustin said impatiently, carrying a knife before slipping it under his belt. "We can't stay in one place too long."

"But we don't even know which way we're going," James said with a sigh. "How do we get to the edge of this city?!"

"Don't worry, I know my way around pretty well," Gustavo told him, opening the apartment door. "I've come here for the last twenty five years, you get used to it. Let's go."

The six of them returned to the alley and, taking deep breaths, finally walked out onto the street. Gustavo walked at the front, guiding them through the streets and past the crowds. Occasionally they got an odd glance or two, but they kept away and stared straight ahead. "We're getting closer to the bigger streets and the city centre," Gustavo said quietly to them. "It'll be the busiest part, so try not to draw any attention to us."

They headed out into the main square. Gustavo pointed out the direction they needed to go in. But the yard was massive and full of people, gigantic TV screens along the walls of the buildings. Kendall looked up to see another news broadcast about the missing rebels. He scowled. He heard a low hum in the air that suddenly grew into the roar of an engine. He looked up, jaw dropping. Reaching out shakily, he grabbed the first arm he found and saw it belonged to Penny. "P-Penny," he squeaked, pointing towards the sky. "Hovercrafts."

There was a whole fleet of them. He heard more whirring and saw other hovercrafts coming from the opposite direction. They had the Capitol crest painted on the bottom of each. And the first ones he'd seen were all painted with the number thirteen . . .

"Do you think . . ." Penny started. He wondered the same thing. Then the leading 13 hovercraft dropped a bomb down on a nearby building.

The square erupted in screams of terror, people pushing and shoving to try and get out. Someone knocked Kendall onto the floor and his head thumped off the ground, glasses falling off and breaking in two. Groaning, he sat up, head spinning. He managed to stumble back onto his feet. "It's him!" someone roared, pointing. His eyes widened, going to cover his face too late. "It's Kendall Knight! He's over there!"

Kendall and the others sprinted towards the edges of the square. Several of the hovercrafts were flying in the direction of the president's mansion and the Tribute buildings, while others were beginning to land with soldiers filing out, firing at Peacekeepers who were charging into the square. Kendall took out his bow and arrows, loading his bow and keeping an eye out. The others were drawing their weapons and beginning to spread out.

Kendall watched the new soldiers, all dressed in black with helmets on their heads. He could see their faces; he saw some that looked strangely familiar. Then he saw one that was terribly familiar. His eyes widened. "Carlos . . ."

Carlos was knocked to the ground. Kendall gave a roar and sprinted out into the square. "Kendall, no!" James yelled, reaching for him. But he missed and Kendall kept going, firing an arrow into the Peacekeeper's back.

"You're alive," Carlos gasped as Kendall heaved him to his feet. "What are you wearing?!"

"I really don't think that's important right now," Kendall retorted, firing more arrows. But it suddenly hit him that he and the others had nothing to defend themselves with. It hit him as he saw three bullets knock Penny down without delay. "Penny," he choked, feeling someone knock against him and turning to knock them right back down. It didn't even hurt.

Carlos fought off more Peacekeepers whole Kendall sprinted across the square to join the other victors. Gustavo was ducking out of the way; probably the smartest option. But he wasn't one to hide; he never had been. He fought alongside Dustin and Mercedes, their knives flying.

"I can't see James, where is he?!" he asked the second he could. Neither of them knew. He ran through the throngs of people still trying to escape, still being knocked down. "James!" he screamed, looking around frantically. He took extra time to scan the bodies on the ground. "James, where are you?!"

Suddenly a searing pain flared up in his leg and he cried out, falling to his knees and holding his bloody leg. He was sure the bullet was still inside of him. The pain was so strong everything was starting to become distorted and blurry. Mercedes killed the Peacekeeper who shot him. Right before another shot her. He couldn't see Carlos anywhere. Bodies were piling up. "James," he whispered, heaving himself to his feet and limping along. He should've run and hidden, he knew that. But he couldn't stop now. He was a sitting duck in the middle of these soldiers but what did it matter?

He saw another hovercraft land in the distance. He saw it open up with more people swarming out, but they were dressed differently in bulletproof vests and white clothes. They held medical equipment. He saw his family and his jaw dropped. No, they couldn't be here, not in this place, they didn't stand a chance . . .

They were loading injured soldiers onto stretchers and hurrying them back inside the hovercraft. Some they were just treating out on the battlefield. Raking his hand back through his hair, forgetting it was covered in blood, Kendall looked around to try and spot James again. He heard more whirring overhead and saw a Capitol hovercraft flying over them. His eyes widened. _No, no—_

The buildings around him exploded into rubble and flames. The ground burst open and he was blown backwards into the air. He was floating for a moment, and saw the devastation that had been cashed. Tears spilled when he saw Dustin fall, his head wound too severe to not be fatal. He could hear screaming, some voices that he knew the screams off too well. He was reminded of when he ran from that explosion in the arena. He thought he'd come so far since then. But he was just the same.

Then everything disappeared.

* * *

><p>Kendall woke up disorientated and stiff on a soft and springy mistress. It creaked as he tried to sit up, gasping at the burning pain in his side, and in his head. But he couldn't dwell on that for long. He looked around with wide eyes, alone in a white room filled with various medical equipment hat he would never recognise. He tried to get out of bed, wincing as he accidentally tugged at the IV in his arm. He got up, stumbling with bare feet across the floor, feeling his hospital gown swish around his knees and chill his thighs. He held on to this IV drip and ignoring the pain, wheeled it along beside him and slowly limped towards the door. He opened the door and walked out, groaning as he had to lean back and tug it shut again after him.<p>

He was standing in a long hallway with rooms identical to his, the walls the same cold and neutral white. It stretched far on both sides, eventually turning corners, and he had no idea which direction to turn. He decided, finally, that he would turn right, and he set off.

It sounded stupid, but he had no idea if he was even alive. He didn't know where he was, he didn't know how or when they got there. He didn't know who had survived and who hadn't. He didn't know what the outcome had been. He didn't know why he was in pain.

Well . . . That wasn't entirely true. There was that unbearable pain in his chest, because he did in fact know some who hasn't survived. Marcos, and Dustin, and Penny. Mercedes. Probably so many others . . . He had to stop, try and get his breathing back on track. It was ragged and uneven and he felt tears building up inside of him.

"Kendall, what are you doing up?!"

Kendall spun around, letting out a sob. "Oh, Carlos . . ." He felt his knees give way beneath him and winced as they hit the hard floor with a thump, IV tugging again.

Carlos ran to him, tugging him under the arms and wrapping him up in a strong hug, holding him upright. The pain in his side intensified, but he didn't let him know that. It felt too good to be held again. "I'm so relieved you're safe," Carlos wept, as the two hugged each other close, heads nestled into each other's shoulders. "If you had died . . . I don't even know what I would do."

Kendall nodded, unable to make any sound other than a feeble whimper in response.

"I'm guessing you're probably really confused and worried right now." Arms still around him for support, Carlos led Kendall over to a pair of plastic chairs and they sat down. "I'll explain what I can. First off, we're in the Capitol. In a hospital, but you probably knew that much."

Kendall sat still, just waiting to hear more. He squeezed Carlos' hand tightly.

"You should know that President Moon is dead. He was shot after he and the Peacekeepers surrendered. Claudia Hay is in charge now. She was the leader of thirteen."

Kendall managed a feeble nod. "C-Carlos . . ." Having known the older boy for so long, he knew that he was straying from the information that Kendall really wanted to know. And Carlos knew that was all he really wanted to know.

"I know, I know . . ." Carlos sighed, lightly stroking his knuckles with his thumb. "It won't be easy to hear."

"Please tell me that Logan is okay," Kendall pleaded, eyes brimming over. "Please, please—"

"Logan is alive." His tone put Carlos off a little. "And James is okay. By the way, your injury is from you getting stabbed after you were knocked back from the explosion. Don't know what it was. A lot of your skin was burnt too."

"Who else, Carlos? I don't care about me right now."

"I figured you wouldn't." Suddenly Carlos had tears in his eyes. "L-look, Kendall—"

"Tell me!" Kendall screamed suddenly, shaking him frantically, heaving with rage. "Just fucking tell me Carlos, tell me who's died, now!"

Carlos began to cry, hand shakily reaching up to dry his eyes. At last he managed to meet Kendall's gaze. "Katie," he whispered. "Katie's dead."

Kendall's hands dropped from Carlos's shoulders. They just flopped down into his lap, useless. "W-wha . . . no . . ."

"I'm so sorry, Kendall, so sorry—"

"_No_," Kendall wailed, shoving Carlos off his chair in a sudden wave of strength. "Why would you say something like that?! Don't you know Katie? She's a fighter, she wouldn't just let that happen, for gods sake from the minute she was born we knew she'd be tough and she'd be trouble, she—"

Carlos just looked up at him, eyes filled with tears.

"Sh-she . . ." He stopped, hand clapping over his mouth. "Oh god," he sobbed. "She can't be . . ."

Carlos stood up, sitting back on his chair and putting his arm around Kendall's shoulders. "I'm sorry," he murmured, as Kendall buried his face in his shoulder and began to cry. He cried until his head ached and he began to feel dizzy and exhausted. At last his eyes closed and he just trembled, faintly feeling Carlos' hand running through his hair.

It was hours before Kendall woke up again. When he did, he was back in his hospital bed but this time, he saw his mother sitting beside him. She had a small bandage on her temple and her arm was in a sling, but she was all in one piece. She smiled sadly when he sat up and stared at her. "Hey, sweetie, how'd you sleep?"

"Okay, I guess . . ." Kendall swung his legs out of bed and reached forward to hug his mother. "I love you," he murmured, sniffling and trying not to cry again. "You know I do, right?"

"Kendall, of course I do," she replied softly, hugging him back with her good arm. "And you know I love you. I love you and Logan, so much."

Logan. Kendall pulled back, breathing slighlty faster as he asked, "Mom, I want to see Logan. And James too, do you know where they are?"

She gave a little sigh, nodding and standing up. "I do, follow me. And put on those slippers, the floor is cold."

Unable to help smiling at finally being treated like a child again, Kendall did as he was told and followed his mother down the hallway, holding her hand. She led him left and around the corner, where the white hallway suddenly turned grey. She stopped in front of a numbered door. "They're all in here," she said to him, hand on the door handle. "And, um . . . just take a deep breath, okay?"

Kendall nodded fearfully, knowing she wouldn't give him an answer if he asked. He'd just have to wait and see. "Okay." He did as he was told and she opened the door, leading him inside.

It was a small living quarters; Carlos was sitting on the bed and smiled when he saw him. Someone was sitting across from him with their back to the door, but he only got a brief glimpse of them before James was suddenly standing there in front of him, eyes filled with tears. "You're alright," he said softly, taking Kendall in his arms and hugging him so tight he was lifted off the floor. Kendall held him back; his side still ached but he felt too safe to really care. Over James' shoulder, he got a better look at who was sitting with Carlos. They were sitting in a wheelchair; and he recognised the back of that head perfectly well. "Logan," he called softly, letting James place him back on the floor and taking a careful step towards him.

Giving a small sigh, Logan nodded to Carlos and he stood up, taking hold of the wheelchair handles and turning him around. His face was half bandaged, the skin on the edges an angry pink. His good leg lay stretched in front of him. And his bad one had been chopped off at the knee. "Oh, Logan," Kendall choked, unable to tear his eyes away from the stump. "Your leg . . ."

"Yeah," Logan replied weakly, opening his arms and letting Kendall fall into them. "It was a piece of shit anyway, right? Maybe I won't have to use my cane anymore."

Kendall laughed shakily, hugging Logan tight and taking a deep breath. He smelled like a hospital. "You'll make any excuse not to use that cane," he teased, drying his eyes and snuffling.

"You heard about Katie," Logan inquired gently. When Kendall nodded, more tears falling, Logan hugged him close again and gave a small sigh. "She was a brave tribute."

Kendall nodded, trying to keep his breathing steady. "W-what are we doing now, Logan? What's going to happen to us?" He turned towards James and finally stood up, giving Logan some space and holding the brunet's hand in his. Wherever he did end up, he knew he wanted James by his side.

"We were just talking about it," Logan told him with a smile. "Panem is going to change not that Claudia is ruling, so we're going to have to adjust. But I'm sure they'll all be good changes. What could be worse than what we already had, after all . . ."

"Ain't that the truth," James chuckled. He pecked Kendall's forehead before saying, "Well, we could stay here, in the Capitol."

"You have a family back in Eleven," Kendall reminded him. But he didn't seem even the slightest bit swayed.

"Twelve is gone, so we can't go back there," Logan said. "I think the Capitol probably is our best option. Provided that we all want to stay together, that is."

"I know I do," Mrs Knight said sweetly, hugging each of them in turn. "Kendall and Logan are my children. And you two, you're like children to me too. We'll stick together until the end, won't we?"

Kendall nodded, pressing himself against James' side and smiling all around at his family. "Of course we will."


End file.
